Forgotten History
by ZetaCommand
Summary: The world of Remnant is a cruel and unforgiving place. Monstrous Grimm roam the lands intent on ending mankind's brief existence in the world. The four kingdoms and its hunters stand as beacons of hope in the dark world. However, as the next generation of hunters will soon discover peace has a price and some secrets refuse to remain buried...
1. Chapter 1: Welcome to Vale

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Chapter 1:

Welcome to Vale

Two weeks ago…

"Move it people!" the armored man growled into his transmitter, "We're on a tight schedule!"

"Unless this mech can carry more than one crate Halley" Jacob answered back, "we'll be stuck at moving one container at a time!" There a dull metallic thud as the crate was deposited on the concrete.

The man called Halley checked his watch. They only had a few minutes left to remove and load everything on to the waiting bullheads outside of the warehouse.

"Roof, status?"

"Scope's clean, nothing going on up here man." Came the reply. "Seriously? Are you going to check in every minute or what?"

"I'm just being careful!" Halley retorted.

He rubbed his head for what seemed to be the hundredth time that night. This was the strangest job he'd ever had as a mercenary. Their employer had contacted them months ago for a job that would be the first among a series of heists. At first everything went smoothly. The early ones were no-brainers, grab a few dust crystals, fuel, and even fabric materials… And then everything changed. The targets became increasingly harder and put them at risk with open conflict with their targets on more than one occasion. Like this one.

The Schnee Dust Company was a household name, often hailed as the premier dust company in the world. Based in the Kingdom of Atlas, but having branches in all of the kingdoms and most of the outlying towns, to say its reach stretched far and wide was an understatement. Their revenue came from selling everything from car parts to military-grade Dust and aggressive marketing. However, what was less known about the company was how far it went to elevate itself or its secret deals with the military of Atlas. Aside from brutally, though not openly, putting down its competitors on the market, media critics and even activists, the company also developed and manufactured, apart from existing military hardware, prototype weapons.

For security reasons, the weapons themselves were never built and delivered to the customer. Instead, the materials were shipped and manufactured at some secret on-site industrial complex, likely guarded by trained professionals or even military personnel.

That's what this is… Halley thought. Our client is probably some up and coming competitor who thinks he has one too many balls to spare.

"What is taking so long?" A disembodied voice asked over the comm frequency.

"Nothing, Mr. Hood" Halley reassured his client's agent. Voice distorter, probably a false name too. "There have been no complications; we should finish slightly ahead of schedule."

"Good. Good." Came the reply. "My employer has found your service satisfactory, and has arranged a fitting reward for your services."

There was a click, signaling the end of conversation.

Halley's relief quickly evaporated when he heard a metallic screech. One of the cargo containers slipped from the mech carrying it, resulting in its door opening.

He signaled the operator to cut his comms. After he complied, Halley checked the contents to see if there was any damage.

"Close it up," He ordered, "bring it outside and act like nothing happened."

Halley exhaled as the mech moved away.

Droids.

Not the latest model, but with firepower good enough for anyone who could afford it. What made it unusual was that the manifest said this warehouse only had parts to manufacture droids, not fully built units. Halley smiled to himself as he reactivated his comms. It looked like his hunch about his mysterious employer's identity was right after all.

Minutes later the warehouse had been emptied of the cargo listed. Four unmarked bullheads hovered like fat insects, already locking their cargo clamps onto the containers. A fifth bullhead was curiously devoid of any such mechanism.

The agent was waiting outside monitoring their progress. He noticed Halley approaching him.

"Your payment is in there." The agent said without preamble, indicating the fifth bullhead. "Plus a bonus my employer saw fit to give you. We'll be in touch"

With that, the agent walked towards the last bullhead and boarded it via its lowered side winch.

"Hey! Check this out Halley!" Jacob called as the airships flew away.

For the second time that night Halley was surprised. Inside the bullhead left behind was a large amount of weapons and military gear.

"What about the money?" Halley asked amidst the cheers and congratulatory pats.

Friendly jeers and laughter erupted at their leader's inability to relax.

"On the pilot's seat," Jacob replied "checked it myself."

"Good." Halley said. "Money we can spend freely, but weapons are only useful when we're working. We can use these in the next job they give us but try paying for those dancers you guys like so much with ACP rounds."

More laughter.

"So you know, I've been thinking…" Jacob said as he flew the airship flew over the city of Vale. "After we unload the gear, how about you join us for a change at that bar I've been telling you about?"

"You've told me a dozen times already how hot the owner is Jake." Halley snorted. "I practically have a picture of her in my head."

"Well yeah, but the girls in the club also get-"

"-a little wild. Yeah, you told me that too."

"C'mon!" Jacob pressed. "That's why I counted the money before checking out the gear! You won't have an excuse to bail out this time."

The rest of the group picked up on the conversation and began to needle Halley to accept.

He sighed.

"Fine, I'll go. But I'm not dancing."

"Who says we dance when we're over there?"

Cheers erupted among the other mercenaries and Halley swore that his long time friend and partner had the biggest grin ever on his face.

"I'll introduce you to-"

Jacob's sentence was cut short when a massive explosion rocked the airship. Fire blossomed from the rear, engulfing those unlucky enough to be seated behind the pilot seats.

"Shit! Oh Shit!" Jacob cursed as he fought the controls.

We've been betrayed! was Halley's last thought as the burning airship hurtled towards the city like a comet.

There was nothing left of the group of mercenaries or any evidence of the incident that night as the bullhead crashed. The flammable liquids secretly mixed with weapons caused a massive inferno that took the Vale Fire Department hours to contain.

* * *

"And that covers the investigation of the second airship accident of the month."

"Thank you John. In other news, Vale continues to be plagued by a series of robberies committed by an unknown group. The group appears to be getting bolder as they recently robbed an entire warehouse belonging to the Schnee Dust Company containing a large quantity of Dust as well as other goods. The CEO of the world's largest Dust Company had this to say…"

The blonde didn't catch the statement, having walked out of hearing distance from the television. Her flight had arrived late in the evening and the nearby hotels from the airport were either full or booked in advance. She could have gotten a reservation for herself easily enough due to her family's status, but she told her father that she would make it on her own. He seemed to approve at the notion, but extracted a promise from her to keep away from seedier districts in Vale.

She remembered rolling her eyes back then. While she did have a habit of keeping to late hours, her nights out had purpose. They weren't spent on the awkward experiments that hormonal teenagers were so obsessed with. Still, it was the one of the conditions she had to put up with in order to enroll in Beacon Academy. One more harmless oath, and an easy one to keep at that.

She checked the map on her phone to make sure she was on the right track. The good thing about the hotels being booked was that she could do her personal errand first. It was after all the main reason why she was here. She only told her father half the truth. Becoming a hunter was a second priority, her personal mission came first.

She took in the sights, sounds and smells of the city, committing as much of the detail as she could to memory. So far Vale didn't seem too spectacular compared to the Atlesian capital. It was by no means a bad place; it simply had a subdued atmosphere to it. It was nothing like the Atlesian capital were you could see several nightclubs open or all-night movie theaters and generally people still up and about looking for some entertainment to pass the night. In sharp contrast, there were few people on the street in Vale and any bars that were open didn't look too cheerful or welcoming. It seemed as if everyone just kept to their business and ignored what was happening around them. This included the commotion ahead.

A group of four men were beating a bald, old man who could obviously not fight back. She sighed. It seemed that even Vale had its share of scum. Worse, no one seemed to be coming to help him or even call the police.

She could walk on and ignore this. Or she could draw unnecessary attention to herself on her first day in Vale.

One of the blows landed in the old man's gut causing him to collapse. He began to cough blood.

The lilac eyed girl made her choice.

"Okay boys, that's enough!"

The group stopped, eying the source of the voice. They saw a teenager with long blonde hair that was, unfortunately, hidden behind a massive bag strapped to her back. On each hand were bags slightly smaller than the one she carried on her back but no less heavy looking. She wore a light brown jacket with a fur collar, while her white pants ended on brown, knee-high boots. Despite the seemingly heavy burden she bore, the girl had an air confidence different from the horribly misplaced invincibility mindset of most teens around her age.

She looked like a tourist.

"This ain't no concern o yours blondie!" The apparent leader said dismissively.

"Yeah! Beat it or we're gonna beat you!" Another one said, approaching her threateningly.

As the thug reached within striking distance, the blonde lashed out with a powerful front kick, sending the man flying backwards.

"Get her!" the leader spat.

The two remaining thugs moved simultaneously, experienced in double-teaming a single opponent.

The lilac-eyed girl side-kicked the first thug and before her leg even descended, hit the other incoming opponent with a round-house with the other leg. Both thugs were flung in opposite directions. The leader wore a look of terror on his face, his prior smugness having vanished. To the untrained eye the attacks looked like it had happened in a single move. The teen did not look the least bit tired.

As he turned to run, the girl used an iota of her aura to propel herself forward, quickly closing the distance. Her boot connected squarely with the thug leader's back. As he groaned in pain on the pavement she moved forward and stomped on his hand, the one that he had used to hit the old man moments ago, eliciting a howl of pain.

Minutes later someone finally alerted the police. A couple of patrol cars and an ambulance were parked on the street, their lights flashing silently.

"We're going to need your name and take your statement on the incident, miss" the police officer said.

The girl just stood there, with her ridiculously large bags in tow. There was no emotion on her face as she eyed the old man being helped by medics and the thugs who were in equal need of medical attention, not just handcuffs.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble." the police officer said reassuringly, mistaking her silence for reluctance. "We use it for filing charges and to corroborate anything the victim says. It makes it easier to lock guys like them up."

The girl turned to look at him.

"Yin Xiao Long"

* * *

**Author's note: Well, here it is, my first fanfic. This idea was originally just a one-shot RWBY fanfic centered on a conversation but I realized that the significance of it would be lost on most readers. There would be too many questions asked, and the readers would have to fill the void with their own theories. As such I worked on the idea until I had a rough draft of the plot (which I already have as of the moment) on what would take place in the story.**

**While this chapter might be dull or a bit slow for some, rest assured that almost everything that happens has a purpose.**

**As to the main character's name…I can imagine your reaction already. But unless the internet lied to me half a dozen times, it appears to be a valid name. It also suits her purpose in the story.**

**Reviews are welcome of course.**


	2. Chapter 2: Monument

RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.

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Chapter 2:

MONUMENT

Yin propped her head with her hand. She found a hotel close to the academy that welcomed guests at all hours. The room she chose was of moderate size, good enough for three people if a second and third bed were added. She flipped through channels aimlessly, nothing catching her interest. An observer would have noticed two things about her immediately if they stepped into the room at that moment. First, her long golden locks hung freely as if savoring its freedom after being sandwiched between her back and bag for hours. The other one was that her lovely lilac eyes had turned into a blood red color.

Yin was angry, very angry.

It had taken almost two hours before the police had finally let her go. She understood the procedure, but the legal system could sometimes be so tedious. After thanking her for the assistance and leaving, she checked the time and cursed. She wouldn't be able to keep her appointment at that hour.

She could easily sneak into the location but a girl carrying three heavy bags at night would send the wrong signal. Add to the fact that the night was dark, the moon showing most of its broken side that even if she brought a light she'd still struggle to see.

"Damn it!" Yin buried her face in the bed's pillow. She'll have to go there tomorrow, and this time there would be no stops.

As Yin drifted off to sleep, she hoped the person she was going to visit wouldn't be too mad.

* * *

~Next day~

Public transport was, to put it mildly, tense. The recent events in Vale had left the populace uneasy and even gloomier, at least in Yin's observation. However, Vale was a major city and in a major city you did what you had to do to survive. So it was off to work or whatever one did during the day for the average person.

Aside from the tight fit in the vehicle there was another problem. More than a few men were staring at her. To say she was attractive would have been the least eloquent way one could describe her. Aside from her golden hair, lilac eyes and smooth skin she carried an air of sureness about her. Where most people in Vale had a guarded posture about them, she walked she acted as if nothing could touch her which only added to her allure.

"I'd have to get a vehicle." She thought, growing uncomfortable under the stares. She was already beginning to miss her car back home and the privacy it offered but she couldn't bring it here.

The Academy had its own transports and a car while feasible, since not all of the academy professors and staff resided on campus, would attract too much attention. Attention was something Yin desperately wanted to avoid. It was one of those rare moments that she, her father agreed on. It would be much better to start off as an unknown. She began to consider what kind of vehicle she would get, if only to distract herself from the stares so she began to go over the factors to consider.

When in a city, space was a luxury. It would have to something small then. Fuel prices ranged from medium to high depending on the fuel magnates' appraisal of consumer's demands. Price of the vehicle was also of concern. It needed to be something anyone could afford but could be modified easily to suit her preferences…

After several minutes of walking from the bus stop, Yin arrived at her destination. The gates of the cemetery were wide open, allowing visitors to pay their respects to their departed loved ones.

It had been a long time since Yin had come here. She remembered a few hazy trips as a child, but she found that little had changed since all those years ago. The cemetery's grass was neatly cut and it gladdened her heart that the gravestones were kept clean of moss and other indications of neglect. A few strategically placed trees made the place larger than it seemed, making look like a field that stretched to the horizon. The feeling it evoked was one of serenity.

Despite her memory of the trips being a little bit blurred, she followed the path that led to the grave unerringly. Yin stopped at the gravestone and looked down. Someone had left flowers at the grave, red roses to be specific. She moved them aside and gazed at the emblem symbolizing fire. Rather than being just a crude carving onto the stone it was inlaid gold, chemically treated in such a manner to reflect any light that caught it.

The name on the grave was likewise treated, and whoever scribed it was good at what they did, making sure that anyone who read it knew who rested here:

Yang Xiao Long

"Hey mom," Yin greeted silently, "sorry but it took me a while…"

* * *

Author's note: I decided to release both chapters at the same time in order to establish part of the time and setting. The specifics such as the number of years will be mentioned later. I've had some experience with stories that span generations starting with Frank Herbert's Dune and my experience was mostly positive. One example some of you may relate to is that short teaser J.K. Rowling released earlier this year about an adult Harry Potter visiting Hogwarts. Even as a person who has only read the first book it definitely caught my attention.


	3. Chapter 3: The Gates of Beacon

RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.

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Chapter 3:

THE GATES OF BEACON

The transports scheduled to take the trainees to Beacon were heavily guarded and the delay, if Yin heard the grumbling right, was due to being checked over thrice. The VPD had instituted the security measures in light of the recent "flight accidents" in recent weeks. They were dubbed as such since no group had come forward to claim responsibility. Whether it was true or not, the number of bullheads in Vale had decreased necessitating stringent measures until replacements could be found.

A few seconds after the transport lifted off Yin scanned the crowd to get a feel of her fellow trainees. Some looked experienced, while others had that first-time look on them. One of them was hunched over, breathing heavily as if he had run a few kilometers.

He straightened up and saw her looking at him. The boy had tan skin and blue hair that looked like a pro hairstylist had shaped it.

"That was close," He said with a grin, "almost didn't make it there."

"Right," Yin began to turn away, "well good thing you did."

"Hey! Wait!" he said, getting closer to her.

"My name's Nemo," he said introducing himself, "Nemo Vasilias, what's yours?"

"Yin" she answered as Yin made another motion of turning away when Nemo spoke up again. It seemed he was determined to have a conversation with her.

"So…what's a beauty like you doing all alone in this corner of the ship?"

Yin sighed. He certainly didn't waste any time.

Before she could think of a polite way saying "go away" Nemo suddenly leaned sideways to get a better view of the news report. Curious as to what had to be serious enough to distract Nemo in mid pick-up Yin looked as well. It was probably a riot or a terrorist attack or-

"And it has been confirmed by her agent, that teen singer Aria Schwann has retired from the music industry."

"Noooo!" Nemo yelled, eliciting surprised looks around him.

He looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

"Is it that big of deal?" Yin asked.

Nemo turned to her, a look of disbelief on his face.

"Of course it is! You've heard her voice, right?"

Yin's look could only be interpreted in one way.

"What?! Are you serious?!" He asked, still in disbelief.

"No, no, no…" As Nemo began to mutter to himself, Yin took the opportunity to slowly edge away from the distraught fan.

Leaving the blue haired teen behind, Yin looked on out to the city, they would be arriving at Beacon in about half an hour. Other than an overhead map, this would be one of the few chances she would get of an aerial view of Vale. Exploration had its own merits, but prior knowledge would be useful in a tight spot. She noted several shops of interest which included a bookstore, the Vale Park, an open air café, and in the distance, the ruined silhouette of Patch Island…

* * *

~Beacon Surveillance Room~

The assistant headmistress observed the new arrivals like a storekeeper taking inventory through the numerous cameras hidden throughout the school. Multiple screens occupied an entire wall of Beacon's surveillance room, each covering a different area or angle. The assistant headmistress noted that some students looked much different from the application forms, while others looked like they stepped out their resumes. One student, however, caught her eye. As she squinted, the micro retina scanners on the screen detected the act and zoomed in accordingly.

The assistant headmistress inhaled sharply. The image in question was a blonde student with lilac eyes. Slight differences aside, she was almost a carbon copy of another Beacon graduate who the assistant headmistress was all too familiar with. Strapped to her back was a cylindrical sword sheath with a disproportionately small hilt. Though the weapon looked heavy, it appeared she had no difficulty in moving about with it.

"She really did come."

The headmistress of Beacon, Glynda Goodwitch, stepped up from behind.

"Yes, it seems she did."

"Well, it looks like the next four years will be interesting for all of us," Glynda smiled, "let's go meet them."

The assistant headmistress smiled as well, but the reason behind it was far different from that of Glynda's smile.

* * *

~Beacon Amphitheater~

Trainees chatted with both newfound friends and old ones as they continued to stream into the Beacon Amphitheater as they found the location for the welcoming speech. As with most academic amphitheaters, it was designed to house a large number of audiences, as well as to amplify the voices of speakers. This, unfortunately, had the side effect of increasing the voices of the students as well. What was once a quiet murmur turned into a dull buzz that grew in volume as students steadily increased the sound of their voice in order to be heard above the other conversations.

Yin found an empty spot at the end of an aisle. Beside the seat sat a girl with giant slab of metal propped between her legs. At first, Yin thought that it was some sort of shield until she noticed the handle folded on the item in question.

"Hi there!" she said smiling, trying to appear as friendly as possible, "this seat taken?"

"No, go right ahead," came the reply from the girl.

As Yin placed her weapon down, she noted the girl's appearance. She had red hair with straight fringes that came down to her shoulders. She wore a purple overcoat with black accents that was zipped despite them being indoors.

"Thanks, I'm Yin Xiao Long." Yin said introducing herself.

"Gaelle Kyveli" Gaelle nodded with a smile.

Speakers activated with a distinctive whine which also doubled as a sign to end all conversations. As the murmurs died a woman stepped up to the podium. She wore a white blouse with a long black skirt that fell to her ankles. Her bright blonde hair, tied in a business knot, contained a few streaks of gray. Despite the sharp design of her glasses, her eyes radiated kindness that would not look out of place of a mother watching over her children.

"Greetings hunters in training!" Glynda's voice projected itself over the entire hall.

"Welcome to your first year in Beacon. It is my pleasure to meet Remnant's future huntsmen and huntresses. You have chosen to embark on the path of service to the people, a noble yet difficult task to achieve… "

As the headmistress delivered her speech, Yin's eyes caught movement at the far right side of the curtains. By sheer coincidence, her seat was position allowed her to see part of the waiting area of the stage. There, among the curtains of the stage behind the headmistress stood a woman in her mid or early thirties.

The woman in question had black hair with red tips. As if to accentuate this fact, her clothes were of the same coloration as well. Her black trench coat, which ended at the knees, had red accents. The thigh-high boots she wore were also black but the insides of the heels were a shade of red. Her coat was secured by a belt buckle with an elaborate rose motif. The belt itself held a large weapon of sorts as well as a few ammo pouches. A long red scarf wound itself around her neck and it swayed softly as if there was a draft in the amphitheater. The woman's gloved hand rested on the hilt of her weapon casually. Despite all of this, her most striking feature was not her choice of colors, but rather her eyes.

She had silver eyes.

As if being called by her thoughts the woman turned her head and locked gazes with Yin. The Headmistress' voice, however, broke the hold.

"…and as such, they will be your partners and teammates for the next four years in Beacon."

There were excited murmurs as the students digested this new piece of information.

"The exam will be overseen by the Assistant Headmistress of Beacon, Professor Ruby Rose," Glynda continued after giving the students a few moments, "Professor Rose?"

The woman in red stepped out from behind the curtains and took her position at the podium.

"Greetings applicants of Beacon," Professor Rose said, her voice flat, "as mentioned by our esteemed headmistress the entry exam will determine your future in Beacon and to a certain degree, that of being a hunter."

The nuance of the word "applicant" had caught the attention of a few people. Weren't they already accepted into Beacon?

"Beacon has always produced world-class hunters, and the reason for that is because we adapt to the changing times," Professor Rose continued as if the students weren't there, "It is for this reason that the exam tomorrow will be slightly different from those of the past. It will be a whole day affair, so I suggest you get some rest in the guest house. We shall meet in the landing pads tomorrow morning. Good day to you all."

With that, she turned and joined headmistress Goodwitch who had also left the stage.

* * *

~Guest quarters~

The students, both male and female, were made to sleep in Beacon's guest quarters for the test tomorrow. This didn't really bother Yin. She knew in advance from her father that the teams would have eventually to share a room regardless of the set-up. It also explained why they were instructed to bring a sleeping bag in the acceptance letter.

Looking around, she noticed that most the students were chatting seemingly excited for the test tomorrow.

"Hey Yin! Carved out your own spot already?"

She looked up to find Nemo with a huge grin that should not have been humanly possible.

"I like my privacy." Yin said hoping he would get the hint.

He did not.

"Anyway, I've great news!" He said with an enthusiasm that sent a primal alarm bell in Yin's subconscious, "I know why Aria Schwann quit the music industry!"

"That's…great." Yin said diplomatically.

Nemo knelt down beside her, still bubbling with excitement.

"Look over there!" He whispered as though they were in the jungle tracking something.

Yin looked at the direction he indicated but all she could see was a medium sized group of people talking. Leaning sideways, she saw the same girl on the news earlier.

Aria Schwann, being a celebrity, was expectedly beautiful enough to warrant a glance if seen walking down the street. She had light brown hair even longer than Yin's that fell to her waist and light green eyes. Surrounded by what appeared to be her fans, Aria talked and smiled whenever someone had spoken to her. She seemed to be managing to hold multiple conversations with different people at once without turning away anyone of them.

"How great is this?! She's attending Beacon!" Nemo exclaimed, "We might even have a few classes together!"

"I'm not saying that she doesn't have any skills but I didn't think they'd just let anyone in." Yin said as she lay down.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Nemo inquired, not taking his eyes off his idol.

"You said she was a singer right?" Yin continued, "Being a hunter is as far as you can get from the media, so what's she doing here?"

The question seemed to be enough to break Nemo's trance.

"Yeah, you're right," He mused, "She was doing pretty good too, always topping the charts and the agency she was with is owned by the SDC."

"Could this be a PR stunt by said agency?" Yin asked, exaggerating a yawn that she hoped Nemo noticed.

"I don't think so. If that was the case we would have heard about it on the news." Nemo said, his regular expression coming back, "Well whatever her reason is, I'm sure the school checked out her skill set and cleared it. I mean, like you said, it's not like they'd just let anyone in right?"

* * *

Author's note: And here is Chapter 3! It was 70% done after I posted Chapter 2 but stuff had caught up with me. I've noticed that my chapters are a bit short but I decided to stick with that as they'll be easier to make and follow. Since it's the holidays I probably won't be able to update as much, but I'll type whenever I'm free in order to keep this thing going.


	4. Chapter 4: The Red Queen

RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.

* * *

Chapter 4:

The Red Queen

_"Right now they're still children, so why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role_ _they'll have forever."_

\- Professor Ozpin

* * *

Morning had come to Vale. While most people would prepare for work, the students at Beacon were preparing for their first step towards becoming a Hunter. Some of the students were understandably up early, excited about the test. They discussed theories among themselves about what the test would consist of, while others were making temporary alliances to ensure the smoothness of the upcoming exam.

Yin removed her weapon, _Sturm_ _Schalth_, from her locker. She checked the ammo counter for the weapon and the dust clip for her sword. _Schalth_, the sword, didn't have an ordinary blade. The blade itself was formed using the type of dust the user selected from the trigger on the hilt. The necessary dust was stored in an ammo clip located in the hilt and it could contain either a single dust type for particular scenarios or contain multiple dust types for a varied approach to combat.

Satisfied that the weapon was in good order Yin replaced it in its cylindrical sheath, the other half of her weapon. She then attached it to the back of her white and gold trimmed jacket. The jacket itself was custom made as well. It contained a special harness on the inside that attached the jacket to the bodysuit that she wore. This ensured that the jacket wouldn't come off when she decided to use her weapon's alternate form. A special clip on the back held the weapon in place but allowed it swivel to either side. With a flick of her wrist, a small sub-handle popped out to her side from the sheath, ready to be gripped whenever Yin felt she needed to close the distance between her and her opponents.

A bell chimed.

All 1st year students please report to the Beacon landing pad. The entrance exam will start in exactly 30 minutes. All 1st year students please report to the Beacon landing pad…

"Time to get this over with." Yin said to herself.

As she turned she saw the girl Nemo was talking about last night a couple of lockers away. Most of the students had already left for the landing pad, despite the time allowance. The brunette noticed her as well and approached her.

"Hello!" she said amiably, "I was wondering if you would know where the landing pad might be? I was planning on finding it last night but I encountered some…difficulties along the way."

"Like getting mobbed by your fans." Yin thought, slightly amused. Still, the girl did have the right idea.

"There's a map of the campus in the hallway ahead," Yin replied, "I have an idea where it is."

"Wonderful! May I come with you?" She asked.

"Sure"

"Oh! Where are my manners?!" She exclaimed, "I haven't introduced myself yet, my name is Aria. Aria Schwann."

"I'm Yin Xiao Long." Yin answered. She noticed that Aria seemed to be waiting for something, but instead broke into a smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Yin."

* * *

~Beacon Landing Pad~

More than half of the initiates were already present at the landing pad, their excited chatter giving the air an electric buzz. Yin and Aria found themselves a spot near the middle. Being the more imposing of the two, Yin pushed deeper into the crowd and saved a spot for the much shorter Aria to get a better view of the stage. She glanced around but couldn't find Nemo, or even that other girl she sat with…Gaelle was it?

As the last of the students trickled in, a speaker squealed to life signaling that it was about to be used. Professor Ruby Rose, the assistant headmistress, clad in her black and red outfit walked up to the microphone and scanned the crowd. She had, what appeared to be, her normal stolid expression.

Then she spoke.

"Strength, courage, tenacity, determination and intelligence. These are the qualities you will find in any good hunter. However, numbers will only count for so much when faced with a real life scenario. Our world is currently at peace, but it is fragile and we have paid the price of laxity not once, but twice in the past."

"It has been a tradition here at Beacon up to this point to have the trainees search for relics in the Emerald Forest, which will determine your future as well as your team." She continued.

A few students nodded at themselves and each other, having received this tip from their parents or friends of their parents who graduated from Beacon.

"We will not be doing that today."

"Today, for your exam, you will be dropped onto the edge of the Emerald Forest into a clearing we have made. The perimeter is secured three miles out by sentries and droids to ensure no Grimm interrupts the test," Professor Rose said, ignoring the looks of confusion, "but even if that event comes to pass, I'm sure you're all capable of killing a beast."

A few laughed nervously.

"The exam parameters to guarantee your entrance into Beacon is simple: Fight each other until you can fight no more."

This time it was the sputters of a few surprised students that could be heard. They looked about in confusion amongst themselves. Plans made the night before, whether meticulous or generalized, crumbled before the new development. Were they not supposed to train to fight Grimm and not people? This was not what they were told!

"Killing or maiming is absolutely prohibited, and it will be as if you had failed the exam should any of that occur," Professor Rose continued, ignoring the startled reactions of the candidates, "We will be watching."

She gestured towards the waiting airships, whose engines had already begun to warm up.

Some students at the rear began to move towards the waiting bullheads while others hesitated. Professor Rose fixed them with a gaze.

"If you will not do this you cannot enroll in Beacon, I will make sure of that!" She said raising her voice, "Now, get on those transports!"

This time the entire body of students began to move. Some shoved or shouldered their way past the rest.

Yin boarded one of the transports and looked around to see if Aria had made it as well but the brunette was nowhere to be seen. They appeared to have been separated during the crush.

During the minutes of the flight there was an air within the transport was thick with tension. A few distracted themselves by chatting with their nearest companions while a few skulked or kept to themselves.

Before long there was chime, the pilot of the Bullhead informed them that they had arrived at their destination.

* * *

Yin swung her sword in in downwards arc, forcing her opponent into a crouching position. She had fought shielded opponents before so she took advantage of his lack of vision of hiding behind his shield. Yin pried it from his hands and before the student could react, she punched him in the face with her free hand. Her opponent groaned as he sank into unconsciousness. Without awareness the boy couldn't focus and use his Aura to deflect any potential dangers, his body would be vulnerable to the crushing feet or explosive blasts of the chaos around.

Yin struggled to catch her breath. She had fought twelve opponents already in what seemed to have been half a day, a few of them even tried to rush her simultaneously. Nevertheless, they all ended up the same, beaten and...vulnerable. Her hair was aglow and her eyes had taken on their crimson shade. This was not what even she or anyone had expected. Few bothered to help the unconscious or beaten, but they avoided them just the same. Everyone wanted to get into Beacon, so everyone followed the second rule.

Yin glared at the figure on top of the cliff. The person there sat with her legs crossed on a canvas chair, watching the spectacle of teenagers who were beating themselves senseless in more ways than one. On the seat, with her red scarf swaying lazily in one direction, sat the person responsible for all the misery.

Ruby Rose.

* * *

Author's note:

Man, the holidays this year was definitely...different. That and coupled with my busy schedule made this update unbelievably long. Other delays included the naming of Yin's weapon which, again, isn't a very good one.

On the bright side, the rest of the team's weapons and abilities, features, backstories etc. are more or less complete. The plot is also complete, and upon reviewing it I realized that it is better to dole out the story in short bursts like this. Its seems more manageable that way. I was told that most bloggers would quit within a year and since my blog survived its a good indicator that I can see this story to the end.

This story has two arcs by the way. Reviews are welcome. Till next time.


	5. Chapter 5: First Flight

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Chapter 5:

First Flight

_"Not every Grimm is mindless, or rather not every Grimm is still mindless..."_

-Doctor Oobleck, Beacon 4th year review notes, 6th Ed.

* * *

The raven flew over the forests of Vale, rhythmically flapping its wings even as it reached its destination. It perched on a tree and cocked its head to the side. It felt an animal equivalent of disappointment. Contrary to what its instincts had told it, there would be no death here, it would not feed this morning. Still, the trip here wasn't a complete waste. It found the flashes and the glinting metal pretty. Checking one last time to see if there were any predators around, it relaxed itself and enjoyed the show...

* * *

Yin didn't know how the brawl started. She doubted anyone did. When they disembarked from the transports the students looked at each other uncertainly. Would they collectively disobey the headmistress? Was that the test? To see if they valued people over their own personal gains? Over their future as hunters?

No one spoke up. No one gambled on it.

A few started with half-hearted pokes and nervous chuckles. Soon the pokes became jabs. The jabs turned into full swings. Weapons clashed, Dust rounds flew, and Semblances activated as student fought student. Within minutes the awkward scene quickly morphed into a maelstrom of chaos.

Yin caught her breath after she dispatched her latest opponent. Her beautiful hair, which she had earlier swept up into a ponytail, now hung limply, drenched in sweat and covered in dust. The glow from it faded earlier as her Aura reserves returned to normal, which meant she'd have to fight again to reactivate her Semblance. Just then she was jostled from the back and she turned to meet her next foe. Her eyes widened in surprise as Nemo turned around, equally shocked at bumping into her. He carried a long spear that curved towards the end and wore tactical armor over his clothes that Yin had first seen him in. His hair, which looked like he spent as much time as Yin did on her own, looked like hell.

"Oh, hey Yin!", he grinned nervously, looking down at her latest opponent, "Please don't kill me."

"Hrkr!" Nemo choked as Yin's hand closed around his throat and flung him aside.

She raised Schalth and blocked the strike that would have pounded Nemo, and any other student, flat on the ground. Yin's arm rang, even with her natural strength and Aura reserves the force of the blow almost drove her to her knees. The small craters that formed around her feet were a testament to the wielder's might.

Yin pushed the gigantic blade aside and it retreated into the swirling dust. She readied herself for another strike and instead what she received was another surprise. The dust cleared to reveal a familiar redhead. Clad in a purple over coat that was now unzipped with black accents stood the student whom Yin sat with the other day.

"You", came her simple statement.

"Heh, small world." Yin remarked, not lowering her guard even though Gaelle Kyveli didn't raise her weapon.

* * *

Aedan took a short break from the melee close to the forest. He had fought for hours before while training in the academy, but this time it wasn't against practice droids or sparring partners who gave half-hearted responses. He had fought (almost) un-inhibited people of the same, and some even better, caliber than he. While beating such skilled opponents gave him a greater measure of confidence in his abilities, Aedan couldn't understand the reason behind Professor Rose's exam. All his life he was taught that every profession in the world had its purpose. Hunters fought Grimm, the military handled large numbers of Grimm that would have overwhelmed said hunters, and the Police dealt with societal reprobates. Hunters fighting hunters was an alien concept to him.

As his Aura returned slowly to him he heard rustling in the forest a meters away. Straining to hear the source of the disturbance, Aedan recognized a sound that could not have possibly belonged to melee raging behind him.

He only had enough time to yell out one word before he fought for his life as a dark shadow erupted from the foliage, a whirlwind of claw and fang.

"GRIMM!"

* * *

~ Minutes earlier ~

"Professor Rose," reported one of the orbiting transports, "This is Stratos 3, detecting disturbance under the forest canopy bearing Northwest. Disturbance is consistent with massive Grimm movements. Requesting permission to sound the horn and extract the students. Over."

Ruby scanned her scroll as the data was relayed by the pilot of one of the school's Bullheads. She anticipated that it would only be a matter of time until the Grimm noticed the negative energies given off by the students. Even those who did not have the Grimm's ability to detect negative emotions would have spotted the dust cloud or heard the commotion below from a distance. Now the foul creatures were gathering en masse in answer to their primal directive: Destroy Man.

"Denied."

"Uh, come again ma'm?" This time the pilot sounded confused.

"Stratos 1 to 4, Whittle their numbers down, but do not evacuate the students. Stratos 5 continue to provide overwatch."

"Uh, yes Ma'm. Providing fire support." The pilot tried one more time, "It looks like there's a lot of them."

"Life's full of unpleasant surprises pilot." Ruby said, rubbing two gloved fingers together.

* * *

~ Forest clearing ~

In the early days of Remnant, there were as many languages and dialects as there were human settlements. This understandably led to some...conflict when groups first made contact with each other. As time passed, languages became more streamlined or understandable. Kingdoms formed, trade was established, treaties signed and alliances made further weakening the barrier between cultures. Yet, there was one word that stood the test of time. It was a word that united primitive tribes and the mighty Kingdoms of the present. It was a word that children recognized as soon as they were able to speak. It was a word that prompted only two possible actions for Man.

"Grimm!"

Yin, Nemo and Gaelle turned to source of the cry, just in time to see a dark-haired student get tackled by a Beowulf. The two struggled for a moment before the boy finally drove his sword through the gut of the creature. Yet it was not even the beginning.

Almost as if on cue Grimm of various sorts charged out of the forest, the stuff of nightmares, intent on slaughtering the children of Man.

A series of sharp barks sounded and the front row of Grimm was cut down as high explosive rounds tore through their ranks.

Yin looked up and saw the that four of the transports were blazing away with their forward mounted auto-cannons. However, they made no move to land or lower themselves within reach of the students.

The students stopped fighting, realizing the danger before them and turned to face the enemy.

"Yin!" the group turned to see Aria running towards them. She was carrying two slightly large silver pistols. "What should we do?"

"Signal the transports!" Yin said, "and tell the rest to bring the wounded to the rear!"

"I already tried to contact the transports!" Aria replied with mounting panic, "They're not answering!"

"What do you mean they're not responding?!" Nemo asked, forgetting for a moment that his musical idol was in front of him.

"They were told not to evacuate us."

The group turned to Gaelle, who merely shrugged.

"Most likely reason."

"Man, that's just sick!" Nemo whined, "Who'd give that kind of order anyway?"

"Never mind!" ,Yin snapped, though she had an idea as to who did give the command, "The transports' ammunition is going to run out soon!"

She pointed to Aria and Nemo. "You two bring the wounded to the rear, tell the others to do the same."

"Gaelle, you're with me."

As Aria and Nemo ran to do their jobs, Yin flicked her hand and a sub-handle popped up from behind to her free hand. Pressing a third button on the handle, located in a position unlikely to be depressed by accident, her sword's cylindrical sheath came loose and began its transformation. She slammed her sword into its place and by the time she hefted the weapon it had become a triple-barreled gatling gun.

Gaelle, likewise had turned her giant sword into...a rocket launcher. She smiled at Yin.

Yin returned the expression. She was liking this person, more and more.

They advanced together.

The gatling gun made a buzzing sound as it added its firepower to that of the transports, while Gaelle picked her targets more carefully, focusing on clumps of Grimm or the larger ones. The rest of the students followed their example and unloaded onto the approaching horde.

The Grimm still kept coming.

Despite the hail of bullets that would have broken a human charge the Grimm ignored their losses and plowed into the defensive line of students who barely had enough time to switch to their weapons' close-combat form.

Yin pulled her sword out in a reverse grip, removing a Beowulf's outstretched arm and slashing at its throat. Gaelle on the other hand smashed her sword onto the ground creating a blast wave that disoriented several Grimm which their opponents desperately exploited.

Just then the transports' guns fell silent, having expended their ammunition in the few minutes of support. Some students looked on in anguish as they departed, not even coming close to the rear where the unconscious forms of their comrades where guarded by a handful of their friends.

"Don't let any of them through!" Someone yelled, "The others are helpless out cold!"

* * *

~ Clifftop ~

Ruby was watching the desperate fight unfold down below when her scroll chimed.

"Professor Rose, how are things?"

"Just fine, Professor Goodwitch." Ruby replied innocently.

"Yes, I can see that..." The image of Glynda in her office clearly showed that she had her own access to the "exam" Ruby had planned.

"Well, be sure to halt your test once things get out of hand." Glynda said sternly, her old persona rising to the surface, "I can see what you're trying to teach them, but there are several factors that constitute an attempt to influence the outcome and this may lead to the point of the lesson being lost to some."

"Of course Ma'm." Ruby replied.

A few seconds after the call ended a roar shook the surrounding trees and something huge bounded out of the forest, tossing students aside like ragdolls.

Ruby leaned forward on her chair, suddenly interested in the new development.

"It won't be such a dull week after all."

* * *

~ Forest Clearing ~

"What on Remnant is that?!" Yin didn't bother turning, recognizing Aria's voice. She was much more worried about the giant rampaging gorilla-like Grimm assaulting the students. She had never seen nor heard of this type of Grimm before.

Simply put it was massive. Despite its hunched position and utilizing its arms for some of locomotion it was over two meters tall. The Grimm's chest, thighs and forearms were covered in the bone-like material Grimm had over their body. Spikes grew on its back, indicating its age, while sharp bone protrusions grew on its knuckles. Its incisors were as long as a person's finger while the rest of teeth, though shorter in comparison, were equally sharp.

It swung its armored fists wildly, knocking away students like they were made of wood. When they didn't get up, Yin surmised that they were either injured or unconscious. The beast beat its chest triumphantly and roared a challenge at the onlookers. It looked like a twisted version of a human brawler.

"Its an Ogre." came another familiar voice. Nemo.

This time Yin turned to look at the blue-haired teen who had caught up to them. His expression was serious.

"Its a relatively rare Grimm," he continued explaining, "It has armor as thick as an Ursa's but better in the agility department and..."

"Weak spots?!" Yin interrupted. As fascinating as the information might be, it would have to wait. People were in danger.

"Uh..." Nemo faltered, losing his momentum, "Right! The back of its legs and arms! They have no armor there! There's also a tiny unprotected spot at the base of the neck."

"Alright, then let's-"

"Uh, one more thing." Nemo said interrupting, "They also travel in packs." He pointed to the edge of the forest.

There staying just behind the last few trees were about a dozen more of the creatures. Their red, beady eyes glowed under the treetop shadows making them look demonic. Rather than rush out to aid the lone Ogre on the field they hooted and made, what seemed to be, the Grimm of equivalent of a cheer. Some pounded their fists into the ground, making an eerie tempo.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Aria asked, curiosity overcoming her fear.

"They might see this as a circus." Gaelle said.

"Circus?"

"Some Grimm possess a pack or group like mentality", Nemo explained "Though those kinds are clever, but not smart."

"One problem at a time," Yin cut in, "Gaelle go for its hind legs. Nemo back her up. Aria can you distract it? I'm going for the spot on its neck."

"Sure." Aria said nervously.

The group made for the monster. Gaelle surged ahead when, to everyone's surprise, she activated three microthrusters on the back of her sword.

The Ogre swung one of its giant fists down but it was blocked by an upward swing of the sword. Drawing her sword, Gaelle fired up the thrusters again and dashed to its side. Using her momentum she swung her weapon and there was a sickening crunch as the blade hit the unprotected rear of the Ogre.

It roared in pain and was about to swing its left fist at the redhead when a flash of light distracted it. A small bullet bounced off its face mask followed by a dozen more as Aria fired her two pistols without restraint. Rather than swing at Gaelle it targeted the brunette with its punch instead. Aria dodged with the grace of a dancer, ducking or leaping out of the way of the followup attacks. When it got too close, her twin pistols morphed into two tonfas, turning aside attacks by using the creature's momentum rather than absorbing them.

The Ogre once more cried out as a curved polearm stabbed the underside of its arms. Nemo pulled the falx back and slashed at its exposed areas again. Using the weapon's long reach he kept the Grimm off balance until Gaelle hit it again, this time directly at the back of a knee. As it knelt, Nemo discouraged its efforts to rise by cutting at the back of the good leg it supported itself with.

Yin saw her chance. While the others kept it busy she ran head on towards the flailing creature. The sub-handle from her weapon flicked out and she depressed the trigger. The gatling gun barked, propelling her overhead as it fired several rounds. Landing behind the creature as she planned, Yin scrambled up its back using the bony spikes as holds. Sensing the human, the Ogre bucked harder intent on throwing her off.

She held on for dear life as she slowly but surely reached the top of the had to duck as it made a last desperate swipe with its one good arm. She depressed the trigger on her sword and emptied the red Dust clip. The weapon hummed as it powered up. Using all of her strength, she plunged the blade downward between the bone-plates and into the back of the creature's neck. Foul Grimm blood splashed at her as she pulled her sword out. Yelling, empowered by her Semblance from the blow, she thrust again and this time the creature slumped to the ground, dead.

Yin rolled off the Ogre's back panting as the others gathered around her.

"That. Was. Awesome!" Aria cheered while Gaelle merely smiled in approval.

"I don't mean to rain on the parade but..." Nemo said pointing towards the forest.

In the desperate fight they had forgotten about the brute's pack mates.

The Ogre's pack growled, jumped and pounded the forest floor hyping themselves into a frenzy. One of them, which looked bigger than the one they killed, appeared to have skipped the procedure and was charged straight away.

"It was nice meeting you guys." Nemo said sadly.

The group prepared themselves for the second attack when the charging Grimm suddenly collapsed, looking like it had run through a giant meat grinder.

"What?" was all Aria could say.

Small objects began to fall lazily from the sky, like leaves during autumn. Nemo snatched one out of the air and examined it.

"Rose petals?" He wondered out loud.

"Look." Gaelle pointed.

Standing past the carcass of the Grimm that continued to shed pieces of sliced flesh with her back towards them was a figure in red. Her trench coat, ending just above the knees was black with red accents. The woman's shoulder length hair, black with tips of crimson, swayed serenely in the wind along with her red scarf.

Ruby Rose hefted the massive scythe on her shoulders, and unseen by the students, smirked at the largest of the Grimm in the pack as if they shared a secret.

The Alpha Grimm glowered at her for a few seconds before loosing a roar. Much to everyone's surprise, the Grimm turned away and melted into the forest but not before the Alpha Grimm gave Ruby one last baleful glare.

Ruby Rose turned smartly on her heels walked back towards the cliff. She touched her earpiece and spoke, confirming Gaelle's earlier guess.

"Stratos flight break holding pattern and retrieve the injured."

* * *

~ Beacon Guest House, several hours later... ~

The sight in the Guest House was hardly what schools would display when recruiting hunter candidates.

Some cried, glad to be alive or simply for the release of the act. Still, some huddled by themselves in corners or places of quiet. Friends inquired about friends or new comrades at the clinic while others spoke of protesting against putting the students in mortal danger on the first day of training. They had suffered more than wounded pride or physical injuries during the day's activity. It was a miracle no one had died or lost a limb.

Word had gotten out that the assistant headmistress had deliberately withheld the transports back when the Grimm attacked and the students thought dark thoughts about the professor. Others confirmed having seen her look on while the students fought to survive against the Grimm, already tired from fighting against their fellow trainees. Nicknames of Professor Rose began circulating, an overwhelming majority of which were slurs. No matter what the students said about her, one thing was clear:

She had easily dispatched a Grimm that took several of them to bring down.

* * *

~ Three days later... ~

It was bright sunny morning, the birds chirped as senior students walked unhurriedly to their assigned classes. It did not properly reflect the dour mood the new students were in. They were called to the amphitheater for an announcement. To no one's surprise Professor Rose walked up to the speaker and looked ready to address them. Some expected her to apologize for her earlier actions or impart on them the purpose of the exercise. A few even hoped that she would praise them for surviving such an ordeal.

They should ave known better.

Wearing her usual stolid expression, she spoke:

"Our world is a cruel and unforgiving place. Our people are under constant threat from monsters within and without. What you have experienced is just a taste of what is to come in the next few years training to be a hunter and beyond when you take the mantle. We cannot afford hesitation or cowardice in our ranks. Though you may laugh, cry or bleed never lose sight of what you fight for! We are all that stand against the darkness and it is by our hand that our people will see another tomorrow!"

Despite her cold attitude, Professor Rose spoke with conviction this one time forcing the students to reevaluate themselves and the profession they had chosen. For most, you were in for life and you had to be prepared to give it if necessary if humanity was to have a chance of surviving.

Later, the teams were assigned by Professor Goodwitch who, along with the Beacon staff, analyzed the footage Ruby and the transport pilots brought back with them during the interim.

It was Yin's team next on the list.

Aria hopped up and down excitedly, clapping her hands. Nemo gave her a thumbs up. Gaelle, in her own quiet way, smiled at them.

"Led by Yin Xiao Long is team... YANG!"

That moment for Yin was a cruel joke of the universe. A reminder of what the world had taken from her when she was barely a child. However, in the coming years she would look back and remember that moment fondly. She didn't know it yet but her once small family would grow again from that day forward. It was a just as well that a picture of the scene was taken by a staff member.

* * *

Author's Note:

Whew! This was a long one! I was right to separate this from the previous chapter. Yin's semblance was already hinted here, and no, its not like Yang's semblance. Still it is pretty similar with Yin being her daughter and all. We finally have the introductory phase out of the way and its time to get on with the story proper.

Feel free to insert your own battle theme music in your head for the fight scenes.

On a side note, I will be using capital letters for in-universe words such as Dust, Semblance etc. as opposed to their real world counterparts to minimize confusion. Also, if someone can tell me where the justify button is it would be much appreciated.

So here's a recap on the character's weapons:

Yin - Gatling gun/ Sword

Aria - Dual pistols/ Tonfas

Nemo - Falx/ ? (Didn't have an opportunity to use it here)

Gaelle - Giant sword/ Rocket launcher.

Till next time.


	6. Chapter 6: Test Drive

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Chapter 6:

Test Drive

~Beacon Dorms~

The first two months in Beacon were hectic. Students scrambled to finish reading assignments, study for exams, get to know who's who on campus and in general, settle to the rhythm of life of as a hunter-in-training.

For Aria Schwann, settling in wasn't a problem. Accommodations-wise, Beacon was as good as advertised and it would have to be considering that the students came from all over the known world. Despite being a co-ed school, Beacon wasn't so liberal that they would let students of the different sex sleep in a common room. Teams that ended up with different genders were assigned their respective rooms that were separated by a common area that functioned as a living room and study area. Nemo Vasilias, being the only male in the group, effectively had the run of things on his side while the girls were understandably a bit cramped in their area. Due to this a concession was made: the common room was unofficially the girls' territory.

On the academic front, Aria wasn't particularly averse to studying, unless it involved reading a thousand-page book of Remnant history whose author began by describing how the grass grew... No, for her the challenge was one particular individual in her team. One that managed to capture her attention at first, and then eventually the entire first year male population of students (for an different reason).

She looked up from the book she was reading (how is the grass swaying relevant to hunting and gathering? Ugh!) and found the object of her curiosity still nowhere in sight.

"That girl sure does love her hair." Aria thought. Rather than plunging her already protesting brain back into the grimoire/history book she surveyed her other teammates hoping to get some new information about them.

She was in for a disappointment.

Nemo was hunched over the maintenance desk, cleaning and modifying the parts of his weapon. Her tanned teammate was, for lack of a better word, a nerd. Despite his appearance Nemo was very much an academic and a smooth talker, being able to join in any conversation seamlessly no matter what the topic was. It was not that Aria could not appreciate intelligence, it was attractive in its own right. However, smart as he was Nemo had one fundamental problem: Once he started talking on a topic he couldn't stop on his own. Like a rolling ball, he'd have to be interrupted by someone before he talked your ears off. Motormouth, was what Aria labeled him once she noted this characteristic.

His partner on the other hand, Gaelle, was his polar opposite. The redhead was an introvert, spending most of her free time in front of a laptop. Though far from shy, she barely talked at all, to the point where Aria worried that her lips might fuse together or her tongue would atrophy from disuse. Any attempt to get her beyond a four sentence conversation was a herculean task. The only common trait she seemed to share with her partner, Nemo, was that both liked staying indoors.

Finally, the door to her left leading to the girls' room opened, and out stepped the object of her curiosity these past eight weeks. She shook her head gently from side to side causing her golden mane to sway in a hypnotic pattern. For a moment the expression on Yin Xiao Long's face was one of complete freedom, as if she did not have a care in the world. Then it promptly vanished, replaced by her familiar serious expression. Peeking over the top of her book, Aria narrowed her eyes mischievously. Time to execute operation: Get-to-know-Yin-Xiao-Long.

"Yiiiiiiiiiiiiinnn" She called out in a sing-song voice, "What're we doing today?"

She walked over to Yin and flashed her a winning smile, one that would sent any fan of hers swooning. Yin, half a head taller than she was, looked down.

"Wow, She's tall." Aria noted, not for the first time.

"Schoolwork." Yin answered.

Aria grimaced internally. This girl really needed to use more of her vocabulary.

Yin pointed at her, "You need to get your grades into a comfortable distance from the passing mark." She continued with the others in a similar fashion.

"Nemo, you're safe but don't get too cocky."

Nemo chuckled at her evaluation of Aria and gave a thumbs up.

"Gaelle, good work."

Gaelle looked up from her laptop and nodded.

Her offense crumbling, Aria decided to try again with a counter-push.

"Well, what are you doing?" She said, with a little bit of emphasis on "you".

"Personal errand."

Internally Aria tore her hair at her partner's one-line answers. Whoever selected Yin to be her partner made a mistake by not pairing up Yin with Gaelle.

"Where?"

"In the city."

Aria's ears perked up at the mention of the city. Yin, whenever she wasn't practicing her with her weapon or studying, always went to the city to do something.

"Well, I'm going with you!" She declared, puffed out her chest and arms akimbo.

"Hey, you know what?" Nemo started, "Maybe I could come alo-"

Radiating with unseen pure malice, Aria turned slowly and fixed him with a look. It was a look that promised his soul eternal torment in the sea of spirits, where he would beg for oblivion which would not come-

"But I haven't finished maintenance on my weapon yet!" Nemo finished smartly.

Aria turned back to Yin smiling happily.

The group leader sighed and relented.

"Fine, you can come." Yin said, "We'll only be gone for the afternoon anyway."

"YES!" Aria pumped a fist into the air, "Let's get changed!"

"What's wrong with what we're wearing?" Yin asked.

Aria stopped in mid-skip and looked at Yin as if she just declared she was an intelligent Grimm that wore human skin as a disguise. Aria was wearing her combat attire which, at the insistence of the team, was modified to be more "practical". There's no way she's wearing that on a trip to town! No, never mind that. She should have been worried for Yin. The blonde was wearing her iconic white and yellow outfit, her jacket opened up to reveal her black bodysuit underneath and - she had her gatling gun with her. On her back.

"You're...wearing your uniform and bringing your gear?" Aria tried delicately.

"Yeah, where's the war?" Nemo joked while examining the barrel of his weapon.

"We have permits to carry our weapons." Yin countered.

"But we're just going on an errand" Aria said, "We only get one day to relax, we might as well enjoy it!"

"Its better to be safe than sorry." Yin stubbornly held her ground.

Okay, wrong move. Over these first few weeks the team discovered that Yin didn't really respond well to emotional appeals. Thankfully, Aria received unexpected backup from Nemo.

"Look," Nemo said turning to face Yin, "we all saw what you did during the initiation and anyone who didn't caught the re-run in the practice ring. So I think its safe to say that anyone who tries to mess with you is going to be sorry. With or without your weapon."

"Fine, but I'm not changing." Yin grumbled.

Aria silently reneged her promise to torture Nemo's soul, things were looking up!

"I'll only be few minutes!" She dashed into the room.

~City of Vale~

Yin Xiao Long looked at the puzzle that was Aria Schwann as she merrily skipped the sidewalks of Vale, examining every shop she passed by. Now that she had some genuine free time Yin wondered about her partner. All she knew about her partner, of which a great deal of the information came Nemo, was that Aria was a rising star in the media who suddenly quit her career to become a hunter. She simply couldn't understand what would suddenly cause Remnant's next success story turn to a profession at the opposite end of the spectrum as she obviously did not have the mindset or prior training to be a hunter.

At first glance, Aria seemed to be the typical hyperactive teenager who followed the latest social trends while putting work on the shelf until it was unavoidably necessary to do. However, these last few weeks had proven that she wasn't what she seemed. For one thing, she was a defensive fighter. Her dual semi-automatic pistols, Silver Wind, used low caliber ammunition that would have trouble downing an Ursa minor. The same went for its alternate mode, as Tonfas they were designed superbly to deflect or block almost any type of melee weapon but they lacked any sort of sharpened edge. This meant that unless the user bludgeoned an Aura capable opponent continuously, which Yin couldn't picture Aria doing, it was more or less a personal defense weapon.

As far as studies went a lot of the terms related to hunting, unsurprisingly, were unfamiliar to the energetic brunette. But she was earnest in her readings and genuinely seemed to want to know more on being a hunter. Except for that history recitation assigned for next week which began with how the grass grew. No sane person wanted to read that.

Having scouted out every single shop on their side of the road, Aria returned and tried to engage Yin in a conversation.

"A squirrel." Yin thought, after she declined Aria latest request. The analogy amused her, and she held back a chuckle as Aria chatted away.

"Come on! Pleeeeeaaaase?" Aria pleaded for her case. She had taken to walking backwards now, looking up at Yin with puppy-dog eyes. Ironic.

"Beacon rules forbid pets inside the campus." Yin said as gently as she could, omitting her follow up line that she didn't like pets.

She suddenly pulled Aria close to her as a car zoomed past, its horn blaring. The traffic light was green.

"You really should watch where you're going." Yin admonished, still holding her in a pseudo-embrace.

"Wow, thanks yeah..." Aria spluttered "That was really clo- Hey! The mall!"

Yin felt a hand grip her wrist. Strong as an Ursa, swift as a Beowulf Aria pulled Yin towards the Vale Mall.

~4 hours later...~

Yin trailed behind Aria as she struggled not to trip with the packages they bought from the mall. It wasn't so much as their weight but rather the sheer number of them that caused the problem. The packages she carried in front of her rose over her head like a tower while no less than two bags hung over her elbows. Aria on the other hand contented herself by carrying four bags distributed equally on both hands. As Yin thought dark thoughts about her partner as they arrived at their destination - a small bike shop at the edge of the district. The doorbell chimed as Yin entered, carefully balancing the items in front of her.

"Shop closes in three hours..." a gruff voice came from over the counter.

Peeking sideways from the stack of boxes, Yin made out the source of the voice. The owner of the voice, and the shop if anything else, was a bear of a man with thick beard and shaved head. He wore a mechanic's shirt ripped at the sleeves with splotches of oil and other unidentifiable stains from a motor shop, looking for all the world like the stereotypical bike mechanic. He eyed the packages the two girls were carrying with a raised eyebrow.

"Uh...Are you two lost?"

"I'm the one dropped by a couple of weeks ago." Yin said.

"Hmm...I was wondering if you'd show up." the man replied, "You made it sound like you were gonna be here early on."

Yin turned to see Aria waving with an innocent smile on her face.

"I was - diverted." Yin said pushing down the dark thoughts that threatened to surface once more.

"Must have been one hell of a diversion." The man grunted as he showed them to the back of the shop, "You can leave your loot over on that table. Its clean."

A small row of motor bikes greeted the pair as they entered. The smell of leather, motor oil, and gas combined to create a pungent scent. Tools were arranged neatly on a wall rack to the left, while spare parts lay on another side. The shop looked surprisingly organized despite the items being seemingly left on where they were on a whim.

"Name's Walter by the way," the man said introducing himself, "You didn't say what model you wanted."

"Yin." the blonde returned, "I haven't decided yet. I'm looking for something reliable, not necessarily new or flashy."

Walter looked deep in thought. "Well, I've the new SASR-7000k-S model or if you want something with more power go for the ARESK-500S. Both are made by Schnee."

The two turned to find Aria flitting among the different bikes, curious but obviously not knowing what she was looking at. Her eyes seemed strangely clouded, but Yin chalked it up as her imagination.

"I thought, Schnee dealt with Dust based products." Yin said.

"They do." Walter admitted, "But when that new CEO of theirs reportedly discovered how to stabilize Energy-type Dust they could integrate a power source of their own design onto almost anything that needed an energy source."

Yin processed this new information as she looked over the differing models. She knew that the Schnee Dust Company made more than Dust-related products and was aggressively entering different markets over the past decade, but this was something else. Modern life revolved around energy production and everyday items that didn't run on good old muscle power were an endangered species. Soon no aspect of life would be free of the Schnee name. It was almost like those corny B-movies where a single (and often evil) corporation controlled every aspect of society.

"They all look factory built" Yin thought out loud.

"Every bike part is factory made." Walter said, "Unless you mean those assembled by hand. Then I've got one of those over there." He gestured with his thumb towards the darkened corner.

There, partially covered by a cloth cover, sat a relatively old model bike in black and silver colors. It wasn't old-old, but it had a sturdy look the newer models lacked. Bike wasn't actually a proper word for it. Behemoth seemed to a more accurate adjective. At double the length of any modern bike it looked like it was designed for a giant to ride on. Yin ran a hand over the bike. It was also long for a bike. Its tracked wheels were thick, looking almost like they were made for off-road drives. Three massive exhaust pipes extended out back rather than the standard single found on ordinary motorcycles. The fork tubes that held the front wheel were none existent. Instead two thick, oblate arms held the front wheel, giving the bike an aggressive profile.

Yin fell in love with it instantly.

"Me and the guys called that the hornet." Walter said.

"How much?" She inquired.

Walter gave his price.

"Three-fourths compared to the lowest price of the newer bikes" Aria spoke for the first time since entering the shop, "Seems awfully low compared to these other models. Its also pretty big. It must have been expensive to manufacture."

During their little shopping spree Aria had proven adept at sniffing out bad sales such as older or defective products being placed up front rather than the latest issues. She even managed to obtain a few hot items that were "unofficially reserved" by the boutique personnel by musing out loud on mall policies regarding sales. She also got Yin to buy a few things for herself, with almost a third of their purchases belonging to her. In short, Aria knew how to shop.

"Well aside from being an older model, its a base model." Walter grinned unashamedly, "Which means its modular and your friend here can trick it out as much as she wants. Profit recovered."

"These new Schnee models look pretty" He gestured disdainfully at the main display, "but you can't change the parts without voiding the warranty. And most of the parts are made and sold by SDC anyway."

"Which means you'll have to bring it to their approved shops." Yin said.

"Yeah. All the kids old enough to ride just want something flashy to show off at parties." Walter said with a hint of sadness in his voice, "But these things might as well be made of paper, one slap and you'll leave your prints on the front cowl. The Hornet's the last of its generation"

"Can I take it on a test drive?" Yin asked.

"Hmmm...its almost closing time." Walter said stroking his chin, "You got any ID on you?"

Yin showed him her Beacon ID and her Atlesian driver's license. Walter then inputed the serial number in a computer near the counter.

"Well, both check out but you'll have to get a new license for Vale." Walter said after verifying Yin's credentials, "This license from Atlas already proves you're qualified, you just have to apply for a local issue."

He handed Yin a few sheets of paper containing a waiver and other conditions for the test drive. He also gave her a temporary helmet seeing as she could get pulled over within three minutes of riding without one. The bike would also be impounded and the owner held liable to pay the release fee.

As Yin wheeled the bike onto the street Aria called out.

"I'm coming with!"

"Hey! Hey!" Walter called out angrily. He emerged from the shop with a green and white helmet and gave it to Aria as she was mounted the bike just behind Yin.

"Oops! Sorry!" the brunette apologized as she slipped the helmet on.

The bike roared to life and drove off, leaving the mechanic alone on the street. Walter felt sad and happy at the same time after seeing the bike take to the streets.

"Stupid kid." He muttered as he entered the shop, still annoyed at Aria's recklessness in forgetting a helmet.

~Streets of Vale~

"C'mon go faster!" Aria encouraged, as she held on to Yin's waist.

Yin pretended she couldn't hear over the noise in the streets. It was way too dangerous to accelerate in a major lane. However, during her earlier trips to the city she noticed that the docks were usually empty at this time of the day. She made a turn and soon they were in the storage area. Time put this thing to its paces, Yin smiled underneath the helmet.

She began by seeing how fast the bike accelerated on an empty road and then tried a figure of eight. Next, she jumped over a makeshift ramp made of metal plates. Rather than being afraid Aria squealed with delight as Yin performed a few more complex maneuvers with the bike. It was quite agile for something so large. Satisfied with the bike's performance she settled in for a cruise, watching the sun set over the seas.

After a few minutes she checked her watch and noted that the two hours for testing were almost up.

"Which way did we come in again?" Aria wondered when Yin announced they were heading back.

"Don't worry, I know the way."

A few minutes later, on their way back, Yin stopped the bike. They had passed a compound belonging to the SDC but there was no guard. She was sure there was one a while ago.

"Be right back." Yin said as she turned off the bike.

Removing her helmet, she approached the guard station and found no one. The entry pole was still down.

"Hello?" She called out.

The only sound she heard was Aria's footsteps as she joined her.

"Nobody's home! Let's go!" She said with false cheer in her voice.

Aria turned and began to walk back to the bike when she saw Yin was not coming with her, but rather walking inside the compound. She dashed towards her partner and found her examining the guard booth.

"Weird..." the lilac eyed girl muttered to no one in particular.

"Maybe we caught them changing their shifts?" Aria tried, "Let's leave before we get in trouble."

"Guard shifts" Yin began, "always happen on the spot. Even in the private sector."

She spotted what appeared to be a gate control office and made for it.

"Yiiiin!" Aria pleaded for the nth time, "We're trespassing on corporate property, we're going to get-"

Aria never finished her sentence. Her hands flew to her mouth as she saw the inside of the office. Lying on the floor were three security guards in front of monitors. Each shot in the head, their blood pooling on the white floor.

"Oh." she groaned.

After a swift examination of the scene, Yin promptly guided her out.

"Are you okay?" Yin asked. Aria coughed, she looked to be on the verge of puking.

"I don't remember eating a carrot today." She said with false bravado.

Yin smiled. That was a start.

"That was recent" she said indicating the inside of the room, "we should see what's up in the hangers."

"No."

Yin blinked. "What?"

"This isn't our problem." Aria said firmly, "We should call the police, or someone."

"Fine you do that" Yin responded, "but these first few minutes are crucial. I'm going to slow whoever's in there down." She walked back into the office to retrieve anything useful. Yin knew it was a bad idea to leave her weapon in Beacon.

She emerged a minute later and found Aria holding her phone. She was fidgeting visibly. Deciding that the bodies unnerved her, a person who used to be sheltered for most of her life, Yin didn't hold it against her partner not wanting to come. She found a service pistol and truncheon inside along with a taser and... a can of pepper spray.

"I still think we should wait for the police." Aria said looking down, "And splitting up is a bad idea."

Yin placed her hand on Aria's chestnut-colored hair and smiled when she looked up at her.

"That last one's for horror movies."

* * *

Rest in Peace Monty Oum. We thank you for coming up with RWBY.

I'll keep this brief for now. I'd like to apologize for the late update and for the fact that I edited the previous chapter where the alternate mode of Aria's weapons are tonfas. Technically, a tonfa is a baton but the former is a more accurate term in what I want the reader to picture when reading.

Till next time


	7. Chapter 7: Secrets

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Chapter 7:

SECRETS

~ SDC Facility, Interior ~

In hind sight, having bright blonde hair and a white outfit was not at all conducive for infiltration missions. Yin moved between cargo containers arranged in neat rows throughout the compound, trying her best to minimize her profile. Whoever was in here was sure to have lookouts, so she decided to find an alternate route in. If it came down to a shooting match she was grossly under-qualified to participate. The service firearm she liberated was of the standard variety, having only ten rounds in the clip and the short muzzle length would make medium range attacks tricky at worst.

Her other items were even less of use in a straight-up fight. The baton was shorter a normal sword's reach and she had to extend it in advance for fear of the mechanism jamming when she might need it the most. The taser was the close in type, where the user had to jab the attacker with tip and the can of pepper spray...well she'd have to get creative there. Whoever disposed of the guards didn't even bother to take their equipment. It should have been expected that the management would arm their front security with the least lethal armaments, a news report that an overzealous guard fatally injured a "dissatisfied customer" wasn't very good for public relations. Still, this was one of their major unloading areas and Yin thought she'd find more high-powered gear in a safe box somewhere. When she checked the office, it was devoid of any equipment more complex than the monitors. Maybe at least a riot shield?

Yin's destination was the largest looking structure in the area. No matter what you were after, it had to be kept in the most secure place in the compound. Still betting that there were lookouts she headed for the side of the structure and found what she was looking for; an emergency ladder. It was folded, but that wouldn't be a problem. Using a bit of her Aura she leapt upwards and caught the second bottom rung. Hauling herself up with a grunt, Yin made a mental note that if she got out of this alive would stress how important morning exercise was to her team.

Once inside, Yin could hear the clanking sound of machinery being operated. Up on the gangway, she spied several figures around the facility, some were patrolling while a few were conversing with a hooded figure on a side of the facility. Except for the hooded individual, all of them were heavily armed. They looked like mercenaries. The cranes moved above in a show of mechanical efficiency, picking up cargo containers and depositing them near the end to the facility to be taken outside. Most likely in a Bullhead or ship.

"No way I can take them on with my current gear." Yin thought sourly.

Aura usage, whether it was to protect the user or for offense had its limits. While one's Aura could be used to defend against most attacks, it didn't negate all of the effects of such. For one thing, the force behind the blow, or in this case shot, would still transmit the energy and knock back the target. This was proven more than once when a couple of crazy Aura users tried to take over the kingdoms. These limits, meticulously documented in the early days after Aura was discovered, were the reasons why the Aura users didn't lord it over those whose potential remained locked. A few rounds would be enough to rip through an Aura shield. She would have to get creative here. Looking around from her vantage point, Yin saw a control booth with two of the armed mercenaries. One stood guard while another operated the controls of the cranes above. She smiled as an idea began to form in her mind.

* * *

~ SDC Facility, Front gate ~

Aria kept alert, both for the Vale Police and for trouble that could come out of the facility. She had made the call a few minutes ago and the operator who responded to her call told her that the police were on the way and to stay away from the facility. Aria hoped that they wouldn't think of her call as a prank due to how young she seemed to sound. Even if they did take this seriously they would need more than one police car to investigate, plus the docks were far away from the city proper partially due to customs laws and partially due to the volatile nature of Remnant's most circulated and prized resource: Dust.

Dust was rare, not in quantity, but because it had to be mined outside the safety of the kingdom walls. It was also used almost everywhere and in almost everything. It was infused in metals to make them more durable, it was used in weapons as bullets, as catalysts for manufacturing and as Aria discovered most recently, much to her disgust, in modern power sources.

To her relief, the lights of approaching police vehicles began to appear down the empty road leading to the compound. That was...unusually fast, given the distance they had traveled to reach this side of the docks. Aria looked at the facility where her partner was risking her life to stop a bunch of robbers stealing Dust or whatever else the Schnee Dust Company made. The Schnees didn't deserve the favor her partner was doing for them.

Then there was an explosion.

* * *

~ SDC Facility, Interior ~

The explosion rocked the inside of the facility, shattering windows and rattling massive cargo containers that normally would require the overhead cranes to lift across to the loading area.

Previously, Yin approached from the side and took out the two mercenaries almost simultaneously. The taser was surprisingly useful as she used it to stun the one with full armor who crumpled with barely a grunt, while a quick sideswipe with the baton knocked out the other mercenary who removed his helmet to better work the controls. Once they were out, Yin studied the display to better implement her plan.

The holographic icons indicated that the loading process was automatic as categories were listed to the side indicating as to what should be loaded. Based on the number of items in the setup, the mercenaries seemed to be after a very closed list of items rather than outright looting everything in sight. It was simply unfortunate for them that when Yin entered the overhead cranes were just about to load cargo containers loaded with red Dust. It was common knowledge that red Dust often produced only one result when agitated in any way: explosions. Even a sneeze could set off an amount as small as that in a vial. And was there a teenager on Remnant that disliked explosions?

Yin entered the appropriate commands on the holographic console and almost immediately the overhead cranes accelerated in whichever direction they were heading. Once reaching the end of their track, the cranes' dropped their load causing the containers of red Dust to plummet below. The results varied, some containers only produced miniature explosions akin to fire crackers as the Dust containers exploded individually in a chain reaction. For some, nothing simply happened other a cough or a cloud of smoke. However, the intended result happened when three crane arms collided with each other in an intersection. The effect was a massive explosion that tore apart the cranes, containers and anything else nearby. The mercenaries yelled in anger and confusion as fire and bits of metal rained down.

"Time to go." Yin thought.

She noticed a dark reflection on one of the holo screens and dodged in the other direction. The mercenary she shocked with the taser had recovered and swung the stock of his rifle at her head. When he missed the mercenary leveled his rifle at her but Yin rolled to the side as he discharged a shot. Completing her roll, Yin rose smoothly and elbowed the mercenary in the throat where there was a gap between the plates. Her assailant choked and staggered back at the force of the blow but Yin didn't give him time to recover. She threw a series of punches and kicks at various gaps in the armor, her blonde hair glowing faintly at first and then brighter with every hit she landed. Finally, she hooked the a leg of her opponent and sent him crashing down. She planted a knee on his chest, ripped of the mercenary's ballistic mask and punched him in the face.

"Fucking tasers!" Yin cursed as her opponent slumped into unconsciousness.

Angry yells rose at the command booth and a few shots rang out but it was lost in the explosions still occurring in the background. Yin grabbed the rifle of the fallen mercenary and headed down. The rifle was standard-fare but it was a lot better than the pea-shooter she had brought to the fight. As she rounded the corner she was greeted by a hail of gunfire courtesy of the angry mercenaries who escaped the fireworks she caused. Yin crouched and slid sideways, scolding herself for not thinking her escape through. They knew she was here and if she ran the mercenaries would just shoot her in the back.

She checked her person for anything other than her borrowed rifle that might help. Her hands brushed the cylindrical container of the pepper spray and a desperate idea entered her head. Yin rolled the can towards the direction of the gunfire, waited for a few seconds and fired at it. Her natural strength reduced the recoil of rifle at full auto and round found its mark. Rather than an explosion like the red Dust still going off in the background, the canister's blast seemed impotent. However, as it did so the effects of its contents' discharge was immediate. Released in a fine mist, the mercenaries screamed in agony as the chemical assaulted their eyes and throats.

The concentrated fire dwindled to few sporadic bursts and Yin took the opportunity to make her escape. As she made it out of the compound she froze in place as a glaring spotlight blinded her as a harsh voice yelled at her.

"PUT THE GUN DOWN AND..."

"STOP!" a shrill voice rose above that of the harsh one, "That's my partner! The one I told you about!"

Yin didn't want to take any chances and lowered the rifle while still shielding her eyes from the glare of the spotlight. She felt hands on her, roughly guiding her out of the way as unseen bodies moved past her into the facility. Yin saw vague outlines of armored officers surrounding the facility as she was moved past the cordon. She was deposited on a waiting ambulance where a medic examined her. Satisfied that she wasn't injured, the medic gave her a breather and wrapped her in a blanket before leaving. Still sitting down, Yin looked up to see a Bullhead rise from behind the facility and rocket into the sky. It looked like some of the perpetrators managed to escape. Just then she heard dainty footsteps approaching.

"That was simultaneously and awesome at the same time!" Yin looked to see Aria standing over her, eyes watery almost like she was going to cry.

Yin smiled at her. "That's what you said the last time I did something crazy."

Aria hugged her, knocking the breather out of the way.

Relieved that she made the right call in not forcing Aria to come with her, Yin stroked her partner's chestnut colored hair in an attempt to calm her down.

"I didn't know you could out yell a megaphone." Yin said jokingly.

Aria looked up at her, most of her distress now gone.

"Hey, I used to be a singer."

* * *

~ Beacon dining hall, Two days later ~

"And then there was a huge explosion!" Aria gesticulated animatedly around the dining hall table the team had unofficially claimed as their own for the semester as she recounted the incident in the docks two days ago. It was dinner time and now that the students had satisfied their hunger they relaxed and talked about their day or in team YANG's case, the incident two days ago.

Yin wished she could bury her face deeper into her palm, but her hand seemed too shallow no matter how hard she pressed. Initially Nemo and Gaelle avoided asking them immediately what transpired, but when they felt it safe to finally broach the question Aria promptly expanded Yin's version which originally consisted entirely of "I threw a wrench in their plans and ran away." However, it now sounded like the brunette was pitching an action movie plot line to a movie executive. Worse, people were now beginning to look in their direction and whispered amongst themselves as they heard the "recounting" of events.

"Cool." Gaelle deadpanned.

It was still difficult to tell whether Gaelle actually meant what she said half the time, but Yin was definitely sure the redhead meant it. If Gaelle, a relatively sensible individual, believed even a quarter of the bloated mess Aria called a report what would others think? That she could, or would, solo an entire team?

"Am I the only one who's surprised that Aria can out yell a megaphone?" Yin asked, desperately trying to steer the conversation in another direction.

"Aww, there's a lot of things you don't know about me yet!" Aria sidled up next to her while smiling.

"And I can't wait for the next surprise." Yin rolled her eyes.

"Well, the news definitely made you out to be a hero." Nemo grinned, pointing at Yin with his fork.

"Thanks a lot traitor." Yin thought sourly as she struggled to push Aria off who was now rubbing her cheek against hers.

"In fact," Nemo continued, still oblivious to bringing the topic back to focus, "I'm surprised that the Headmistress, or at the very least the Assistant Head didn't call you up to congratulate you."

"Don't say that!" Aria broke away from Yin and smacked her hand on the table, "You only get sent up to Professor Rose's office to be punished!"

During the first two months at Beacon the first years quickly learned that they were under a very reasonable authority figure of one Professor Goodwitch. They also learned that those who broke the rules would be...dealt with by Professor Rose. The two instructors utilized completely different methods of teaching. Glynda Goodwitch held the carrot, speaking to the listener in a calm voice and often offered wise counsel whenever students felt lost or overwhelmed. Ruby Rose, on the other hand, held the stick or whatever her gigantic weapon was. The Beacon Assistant Head seemed to have eyes and ears everywhere. No delinquent act went unpunished for long. The offending student called to her office always came out a quivering mess that took their teams a few hours at the very least to sort out. Needless to say, the number of troublemakers dropped down considerably.

A soft bell chimed.

"Yin Xiao Long please report to the office of Assistant Headmistress within the hour," a gentle voice announced.

Yin and Aria glared at Nemo simultaneously as the message repeated itself.

"W-whoa! Hey! See? I bet she's gonna congratulate you!" Nemo said hastily, raising his arms up in a surrendering gesture, "I mean, its not like she's gonna chew you out for meddling in something you had no busi- oof!"

Gaelle elbowed him, preventing Nemo from digging his own grave any deeper.

Yin's lower lip curled but she rose anyway, confident that she didn't do anything wrong. She ruffled Aria's hair on the way out to calm her partner down and prevent her from murdering Nemo. It was a futile gesture.

"N-E-M-O!" Aria reached across the table with both her hands. The malevolent aura two days prior had returned in full force.

"G-Gaelle?" Nemo looked around and saw that his partner was already a good distance away, carrying their food trays to be deposited for cleaning effectively leaving him to Aria's non-existent mercy.

* * *

~ Headmistress' Office ~

Yin closed the old-type door silently behind her. Professor Rose's office was dark like a cave, the only illumination came from the moon through a large window and several holoscreens to the left. Yin was surprised at what was playing on the screens. Almost like she was being followed by a camera crew, the images of her actions two days ago within the Schnee facility played out from various angles on multiple screens. Yin turned her attention to the figure seated on a high-back chair behind a large wooden desk.

If the cave analogy held true, the desk and chair were situated at the entrance, projecting the image of effectively blocking an escape. The high-back chair, situated in front of the window, shrouded the seater's facial expression in shadows from the moonlight entering through the glass. Professor Rose's eyes, two silver spheres with black pinpricks at their centers, shone brightly and were fixed on the images playing out in a loop on the screens. In the dim light Yin could see her fingers were steepled together that, combined with the ambience of the room, made her look like a comic book villain.

Yin stood up straight, waiting to be addressed. She didn't have to wait long.

"What. Were. You. Thinking?!" Professor Rose's asked, her voice dripping with acid. The images blinked away, as if afraid of what was to come next.

Yin stood silently, not sure if she was really asked a question.

"Well?!" The silver spheres seemed to quiver with rage.

"I thought it was best to slow them down while the police were called." Yin answered calmly, still confident that she did nothing wrong. It wasn't like she actually planned to apprehend the mercenaries all by herself. She wasn't that naive or into heroics.

"And what a marvelous job you did!" Professor Rose said sarcastically, "Thousands of Liens worth of damage to corporate property, the capture of a few hired guns who knew absolutely nothing of the organization that hired them, and the escape of the mastermind behind the robbery. Did I miss anything?"

Yin stood silently preferring not to add more fuel to the proverbial fire.

"Oh yes, in fact I did." the irate professor said tapping her chin daintily with her index finger, "You also managed to ruin _months_ of surveillance for the authorities and the Schnee Dust Company!"

"We do seemed to have some promising students this year!" Professor Rose crowed, then her voice hardened.

"Do you think yourself particularly well informed miss Xiao Long? Do you know more of what goes on in this city compared to the police?" Professor Rose leaned back on her chair and gazed at the ceiling, "Do you think the police are all incompetent or that they would simply let these robberies go without so much as scratching their backsides?"

She finally looked at Yin Xiao Long.

"Each and every one of those cargo containers had a tracking device in them. The authorities were on the verge of catching those responsible for every major crime in the past year and now..." She gestured at empty air with a gloved hand, "we're back to zero."

"Understand now?" Professor Rose continued, "We all have roles, and that wasn't yours. You can't just take things into your own hands like a vigilante."

Yin kept quiet. While it was true she shouldn't have been so reckless as set off several containers of red Dust, she didn't exactly have the luxury of time to come up with a better plan. Nor did she think that the police would place tracking devices in the containers. Then again, tracking wouldn't be very effective if the target knew about the devices.

"You're lucky nobody pressed charges against you." Professor Rose said evenly, "Not even your family would be able to get you out of this one. Should I be the one to tell your parents that you managed to get kicked out of Beacon and sued in less than a quarter of year?"

The last statement sparked something in Yin.

"Parent." She mumbled more to herself "I only have one parent."

Yin heard a foreign sound; she looked up and was surprised to see that Professor Rose had chuckled.

"I never thought I'd meet a pedantic Xiao Long." She said, clearly amused.

"You...know my family?" Yin asked, unable to hide her surprise.

"I know your father. I also knew your _first_ mother," Professor Rose said while smiling though her eyes still clearly held some anger, "probably better than anyone else did."

"Can you tell me about her?" Yin asked, risking Ruby Rose's wrath.

"Don't try to change the subject-"

"Please!" Yin pleaded.

"Fine." Professor Rose snorted, "Your mother was a graduate of Beacon obviously, one of the top Hunters of her class, Hero of Vale, Savior of Patch-"

"What happened to her?" Yin interrupted.

"Trust me, you don't want to know the details." Professor said dismissively, accompanying the statement with a fanning motion with her hand. If she was annoyed at being constantly interrupted it didn't show.

"That's all the records say!" Yin said angrily, no longer caring about any of the consequences of her actions, "They all say the same thing! What are they hiding?! Why won't anyone tell me about my mother? Why won't anyone tell me about what happened to Yang Xiao Long?!"

For the second time that night Yin was shocked. Ruby Rose stood up with a dark fury in her eyes at the mention of her mother's name. She walked towards Yin menacingly.

"You want to know what happened to her?!" Professor Rose asked, her voice laced with barely concealed rage, "She died the same way you and every other Hunter is going to die! Fighting Grimm!"

She was close now, right in front of Yin. Like her namesake her scent was that of roses. Whoever said you could smell hostility obviously never met Ruby Rose. The Assistant Headmistress gripped Yin's jaw and forced her to look up into her silver eyes.

"Just in case you didn't read between the lines when you signed your application." Professor Rose hissed.

They stared at each other without blinking for what seemed to be an eternity until soft buzz broke the deadlock. Professor Rose released Yin's jaw and stalked towards her table, pressing the button of an old speaker a bit too hard.

"I said I was not to be disturbed." She said coldly.

"Pardon me Ma'm" the receptionist said with concern, "but the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company is here."

Ruby Rose released the button, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. A moment later she pressed the button again.

"Send her up."

"She's already on the way Ma'm!" the receptionist said in a panicked voice.

"We'll continue this at another time, I've more important matters to deal with." Professor Rose said turning to Yin, her face once more becoming a stoic mask.

Her head swirling with new information, Yin turned and stumbled sideways barely in time to avoid narrowly hitting another person behind her. As she righted herself, Yin couldn't help but stare at the new arrival, the highly reclusive CEO of the Schnee Dust Company.

The visitor had a pale complexion with ice blue eyes. Her wavy, long white hair was fashioned into a ponytail and allowed to hang over her right shoulder. Holding it in its place was a small tiara in the shape of an icicle. Her attractive face bore a jagged scar on her left eye, but rather than tarnish her appearance it only seemed to further augment her unearthly beauty.

Acting like Yin didn't exist Schnee CEO walked into the room as if she owned it. She moved quietly and gracefully so that her steps barely disturbed the white, blue trimmed coat she wore over her shoulders. She halted a few steps away from Professor Rose. The latter had an unreadable smile on her face and as Yin stumbled out of the office she caught the beginnings of their conversation as the door closed.

"Hello Weiss"

"Ruby"

Author's Note:

I apologize for the mediocre start of this chapter. While the conversations were planned, the events in the SDC facility obviously weren't. In fact, all of the conversations in this fanfic are planned with a few tweaks here and there. However, I'm glad that while some of them sound awkward they develop their own flow when written.

Also, while it seems that Yin has the same purpose as Yang in wanting to find out what happened to their parent, trust me, they don't have the same reason. The reason will be revealed in a later chapter where Yin will have a heart-to-heart talk with an as-of-yet undecided teammate. Speaking of which, I hope I got better with the team dynamics in this chapter. Also...I don't know what the plural of Lien, the currency of Remnant, is.

Oh, yeah and Yin doesn't know that Ruby is her aunt. This isn't an altenate universe and I plan to reveal why later on. Its actually connected with Yin's mission to discover on what happened to Yang, but that's in the second half.

As always, leave a review if you think something needs or is worth mentioning.

Till next time!


	8. Chapter 8: Storm Clouds

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Chapter 8:

STORM CLOUDS

* * *

~ Beacon Dorms, One month later ~

"For as long as Man has walked on this world he has known to fear one thing, the Grimm."

"_She knows what happened..._" a little voice whispered.

Yin struggled to focus on the text of the book in front of her. Ever since her conversation with Professor Rose on that night she had grown restless. And then, there were other distractions...

"But I'm starving!" Nemo whined pitifully.

"No!" Aria held the bag of chips away while placing a hand on Nemo's face, "These chips are bad for your health! So I'm eating them for the benefit of the team!"

Yin shook her head, in an attempt to both clear her mind and to shut out the background noise generated by her more energetic teammates. She read the next page, attempting to get a fresh start on her studies.

"Currently, it is speculated that Grimm do not need to feed, but rather choose to feed on humans..."

"_She knows what happened to Yang Xiao Long..._" the little voice returned once again.

Yin finished the page and moved on to the next, determined to build a reading momentum.

"One of the few verifiable facts on Grimm is that they exclusively attack human and their creations while engaging animals only for territorial reasons."

"_She might even be the one who killed her..._"

Yin slammed the book shut causing Aria and Nemo to jump.

"Uh, sorry for bothering you Yin..." Aria began, but Yin didn't reply as she entered the girls' room, closing the door behind her. Aria shot Nemo a dirty look when Yin didn't reply.

Once inside Yin began to rummage through her clothes absentmindedly. Maybe a ride through town would clear her head. The evasive answers she received that night only served to reinforce her theory that her mother's death was covered up. With little hope of learning anything in Atlas, she had come to Vale under the pretense of becoming a Hunter. The truth was Yin was doing this not really for personal closure, but for her father. Yin vividly remembered those few times her father spoke about his past life that he had studied and trained in Beacon and how he met her mother.

His face had a peaceful expression on it, much different from the serious look he normally wore. Once, when she was ten, Yin asked what happened to her mother and she made it clear that she wasn't referring to her father's second wife. She got only one sentence in reply.

"She...died."

Her father didn't break down, at least not physically. Instead, he spent the remainder of that night on the couch, looking like he was reliving a nightmare. He looked nothing like the confident leader people made him out to be, if anything he looked more like an old man in his twilight years. In her early teenage years, Yin searched for information about her mother. All the articles she found sang nothing but praises of Yang Xiao Long's accomplishments as a Hunter but not one of them stated how she died, her funeral, or even what her last mission was.

Now aware of the act her father put on around not just her but around society whenever someone praised Yang's achievements or about how much she looked like her mother Yin was hurt, particularly with the latter comment. She realized that what she took as compliment early on was really nothing but a barb sunk into her father, albeit unintentionally.

Once she realized it, her father's look on that night haunted her. It must have been a challenge everyday to look at her without remembering Yang. Not that her father was anything but loving towards her. Despite the late and irregular hours the military demanded of him, he had always made time for her, whether it was appearing in her first tournament match or her graduation from Atlas Academy. By all outward appearances, he seemed to be perfect parent.

From what little information Yin gleaned from his past stories, it was highly likely that he didn't know what happened to Yang. Whoever covered up the famous Hunter's death held enough rank to silence the news or any other form of distribution of the information. Her father's rank wasn't nearly so high in the Atlas military that he could risk drawing unwanted attention to his family from that entity.

Since graduating Yin had resolved to try to ease her father's burden in the only way she knew how: by discovering what happened to her mother. She was hoping that the knowledge would finally give him closure and a sense of peace. Her plan seemed pretty straightforward, enroll as a huntress, look around for information, and drop out of the curriculum as soon as she got what she wanted. It seemed simple enough on paper, and what better place than to start with Beacon?

Unfortunately the cliche "no plan survives contact with the enemy" had found its next victim. Her talk with professor Rose completely threw her plans out of order. Not only did Yin (quite spectacularly) antagonize the one person who might have known what happened to Yang, the former seemed to bear animosity towards her mother for some unknown reason. On that night even in the darkness of the office, with only the moonlight as illumination, she could make out Ruby Rose's rage at the mention of her mother's name.

"Wait! What am I doing?!" Yin asked herself. She winced, thinking that some of Aria's mentality might have rubbed off her. She didn't need to dress up for a ride!

"Can't decide what to wear?" came a quite voice behind her.

Yin turned to see Gaelle on her bed with her laptop, as usual.

"Uh, yeah." Yin responded, hoping that the red-head wouldn't notice her distress, "I'm not really good at this." She gestured towards the clothes that Aria had "convinced" her to purchase that afternoon in town.

"Let me see."

Without waiting for an answer, Gaelle approached and looked at the articles in question. There were three pieces of apparel for each part of the body and a pair of boots that Aria insisted was a neutral color to go with any outfit Yin wore, even the ones she initially brought. After taking note of the items present Gaelle returned to her laptop and typed rapidly. She turned the screen a minute later and showed Yin a multitude of combinations for the item she had.

Yin's eyes were drawn to a particular combination that looked both functional and good.

"Huh, you learn something everyday."

With her mind partially calmed by Gaelle, the makings of an actual plan for the night brewed as Yin changed her clothes.

* * *

~ Team YANG common room ~

Yin exited the room a few minutes later, planning to clear up any misunderstanding she might have caused for her teammates. The two most energetic members of the team were uncharacteristically quiet while she changed which made her feel, slightly, guilty. Upon exiting the room, however, what she found was not a couple of contrite faces but rather two bodies on the floor with Aria straddling Nemo with her hands wrapped around his neck. Only the most perverse of minds would find the situation arousing, however, as Aria was actually in the process of strangling the life out of him.

Yin shook her head, wondering where her two teammates drew their energy from. Still, appearing for trial as a witness to murder would be extremely inconvenient so she decided to intervene before things got messy. She cleared her throat, causing the two to stop and look. Their reaction, however, was unexpected.

Aria's eyes dilated, her lips forming the word "oh" in wonder. Nemo, on the other hand, had his jaw wide open in shock, his eyes as wide as saucers. Though whether it was genuine surprise or his instinctive to attempt to breath from the stranglehold was anybody's guess. However, the one thing they did in common was to stare at Yin.

Yin wore a white long sleeved shirt that was tucked underneath a black mini-skirt. The mini-skirt was secured by a belt that had two folds of cloth with purple insides as an accoutrement that covered the side of her thighs. She wore heeled boots which were secured with buckles over black leggings that reached all the way to her thighs, stopping a couple of inches from the lower portion of her mini-skirt. The white and black combination, augmented by purple accents, gave its wearer a classy yet mature look.

"C'mon guys," Yin held out both hands while gesturing for them to get up, "No murders today."

"Yin?" Nemo was in shock, "What happened to you?"

The blue haired teen was obviously unused to seeing his team leader looking so...feminine. His ogling was interrupted as Aria rudely pushed him out of the way to take his spot in front of Yin.

"Wow! You look gorgeous!" She squealed, "I'm going to get changed as well!" The brunette had correctly surmised that Yin was going somewhere other than the library or practice rings.

"Sorry, I'm flying solo on this one." Yin said, as gently as she could put it to her partner.

"What?!" Aria looked dejected, "This is the first time I've seen you go out! We should go together!"

The brunette's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Are you seeing someone without telling us?"

"No, nothing like that." Yin chuckled. She approached Aria and began to ruffle her hair, a habit in the making between the two.

"Some people just need some time alone, y'know to discover new things." Yin explained, giving as much of the truth as she could, "And as you said, I don't do this a lot."

"Like never." Nemo mumbled as he got up.

"Okay..." Aria looked like a kid who was denied a toy they had asked for as she accepted Yin's decision.

"Don't worry, this also doubles as a scouting mission" Yin said with a wink, letting a drop of the truth out, "Once I find a place I'll take you there the next time."

Her partner's expression brightened at the promise.

"Don't wait up for me, I'll be back before the school gates lock down." Yin instructed as she turned to leave.

"Wait!" Aria called as she rushed out of the common room. She returned moments later with something in her hand.

"Here! Put this on!"

Yin took the accessory from her. It was a small gold pendant on a thin chain of matching color and the pendant had a vibrant purple gem in its center. Unconsciously, Yin was reminded of her eyes and her hair.

"Are you sure its okay for me to take this?" She asked.

"Don't worry! Its not a family heirloom or anything." Aria chuckled in response.

"Oh well, thanks."

"Hey wait a minute..." Yin hesitated just as she about to place the item around her neck, "This doesn't contain a tracking device does it?"

"Nope!" Aria smiled innocently "But thanks for the idea!"

* * *

~ Beacon Administrative Wing ~

"Councilman, there really is no need for this discussion." Ruby Rose spoke to the person on the holographic screen. It was late in the afternoon and the last classes had ended an hour and a half ago.

"Yes, well apparently the city laws, and the kingdom's by extension, doesn't just the need the word of Beacon on the matter - they need it on paper," the orange haired politician replied, "Despite being a part of the kingdom, Beacon as a juridical entity owns its assets and the law requires that it be paid or at least be guaranteed some form of compensation should the city need to borrow any of its assets."

"Fine." Ruby said, clearly annoyed, "send your request with the offer of compensation and I'll give it to the headmistress to sign."

"Wait!" the council member spluttered, "Shouldn't we meet to talk about the details and, uh, iron them out?"

"Why? We're clearly talking about it now."

"Aww come on Ruby..." he pleaded, "Not everything can be done right across a screen. How about across a dinner table instead."

Ruby glanced at another screen to the side covering the long corridor leading to her office. A certain white clad executive was only a few seconds from arriving. She blew a lock of hair that fell across one of her eyes, giving the impression of annoyance.

"Fine, but I decide where and when." She said neutrally, "Now, I have to go. I'm meeting someone else."

"Right then. Wait...who are you meeting?" The indigo eyed councilman asked while theatrically stroking his bearded chin.

"I'll see you later Cardin." Ruby chuckled, dismissing the screen just in time as Weiss entered the room.

The assistant head of beacon rose from her seat, greeting her former partner with a sisterly kiss on the cheek. Weiss merely smiled and continued walking, as if she was used to measured but constant movement.

"Why is that corridor of yours so long anyway?" The Schnee executive finally spoke.

"To give the students time to reflect on their...misdemeanors." Ruby answered professionally with a dash of ham in her voice.

Indeed, the corridor that led towards her office was a good two minute walk from the hallway. It was kept bare so there would be no distractions to those heading towards the office, the design was such that the hallway gave the illusion of being longer than it actually was. Whoever the previous head of the school was that commissioned this specific feature must have have been a real badger in life but it suited Ruby purposes for both discipline and need of privacy.

"You're evil." Came the simple reply.

"Two can play at that game." Ruby thought with amusement.

"Well, the Schnee company does have its own...quirks."

"How dare you?!" Weiss snapped, "The Schnee Dust Company is a leader in both technology development and social reform! As such, the abuse on its employees is now equally heaped on both human and faunus employees!"

Both snickered, and finally broke into peals of laughter. It was a sight few could claim to have seen. They worked well together and naturally understood each other's peculiar humor...despite the grain of truth behind it.

During the conversation, Ruby led her to a balcony overlooking the academy where a small table was set up. On top of it were different assortment of cakes, varying in sweetness along with tea, coffee, and a large platter of cookies.

"Since we're on about employees, how did things go at Corporate HQ?" Ruby asked casually as they sat down, not that she didn't know how that would end.

Since Weiss had arrived a month ago that night they barely had any time to talk, and when they did it was related to work. Now that Weiss had "refocused" the Schnee Dust Company management in Vale they could finally have some private time together and Ruby would slaughter an entire herd of Goliaths before she let anyone ruin the afternoon or interrupt them.

"Hmph!" Weiss snorted, "It was practically a menagerie when I stepped in there! Chickens with their heads cut off have more coordination than the staff."

"Maybe they were like that because their heads were still attached." Ruby said.

"What? Do I look like the type to cut off heads?" Weiss sounded annoyed.

Ruby didn't answer the question directly and instead sought to divert the topic.

"Well, speaking of chaos how's our screaming little ball of white fur?"

Weiss turned at Ruby with a wild look in her eyes.

"That little beast vomited on me the week before I left for Vale!" Weiss' memories were entering dangerous territory now. Ruby judged it wise to just ride the torrent since she was still genuinely curious to hear about the next Schnee heir.

"I just wanted to hold it to say goodbye and then it...!"

"Regurgitated." Ruby finished helpfully.

"On my dress!" Weiss continued to rant, "I held it for one moment, smiled and then-"

"Weiss, when are you going to stop referring to him as an it?" Ruby giggled girlishly. If any of her students saw this they might have thought she'd snapped and was moments away from a murderous rampage.

"I'll call it whatever I want. Its not mine anyway!" the snow haired executive replied hotly, "Maybe when the little _creature_ learns some manners!"

A loud engine roar, though muffled due to the height of the balcony, could heard down below. The two glanced down and saw a particular blonde-haired student ride out of the campus on an abomination that looked like a motorbike but was three times larger. The rider was wearing a helmet though her curly locks could be seen sticking out underneath the helmet. A shame, Ruby wouldn't be able to pin anything on her...yet.

"At least I'm not the only aunt with a problem child." Weiss finished smugly. She took the cup of tea in front of her that Ruby discreetly filled during her tirade.

"It runs in the family I suppose." Ruby said while sipping her coffee, "Well, Dad's side anyway. I'm an angel."

"You? An angel?" Weiss snorted, "If you're such an angel you wouldn't have tried to blow me up when we first met."

"I was fifteen!" Ruby exclaimed, defending herself "Its not like I knew what was in your suitcases! Besides, I was nervous about entering Beacon at the time."

Weiss gave her a blank stare in response. Ruby looked back at her, starting an impromptu staring contest. However, she had long abandoned her propensity to let time pass without activity so she stuffed a cookie in her mouth.

Eventually both broke into a smile and laughed once more when it was clear neither was willing to give ground on the matter.

"So - what was your niece doing in your office when I arrived that night?" Weiss asked, "A little chat with auntie Ruby?"

"Something like that," Ruby said, "Broke the Xiao Long record of getting in trouble at school. midterms isn't even near yet."

"Oh! I did not see that coming!" Weiss said sarcastically, "Considering who her father is, I should have but _didn't_. Shame on me."

"Also it appears that she doesn't know I'm her aunt." Ruby said as calmly as one commented on the weather.

"Are you serious?" Weiss asked her in disbelief.

"Yes." The blue eyed executive eyed her former partner, waiting for a laugh to escape. None did.

"That man..." Weiss said gravely, "should not be allowed to breed."

Ruby neither agreed nor disagreed with Weiss' statement and the two companions lapsed into silence for a few moments.

"So how much _does_ she know?" Weiss asked in a neutral tone.

"Apparently not much." Ruby smiled conspirationally across the table, "During that night she even asked about what happened to mommy."

"We're so close..." Weiss murmured, "The last thing we need is some meddling kid digging bones up."

"I wouldn't worry." Ruby said dismissively as she bit into another cookie, "All the evidence was wiped years ago and the number of people that do know what we're planning could be counted by a pre-schooler."

The black haired woman set her cup down. "Its not too late to back out Weiss."

Weiss' face hardened.

"Ruby Rose, we've had this conversation before." She turned her gaze outward into the grounds of Beacon where students loitered or laughed freely with their friends as if they didn't have a care in the world. Beyond that was the city of Vale commuters were no doubt just emerging from their workplaces as business wound up for the day. The sun was beginning to set now, casting a warm orange tint on everything its light touched.

It looked sickeningly carefree to Weiss.

"I won't go back. Not at this point." She said in a melancholic voice, "And I'm certainly not leaving you to do this alone."

Ruby saw the determination on her face and and an unfamiliar emotion rose from the depths of her blackened heart. She reached out to her best friend.

"No words can ever adequately convey my gratitude."

"Save it until we're done." A familiar smirk returned to Weiss' face.

Ruby Rose smiled wickedly on the inside. Their plan would bear fruit in a few month's time. All the years that passed did nothing to douse the flames of hatred in their hearts.

"Yes," the red hunter thought, "We will have our revenge."

* * *

Author's note:

This chapter was supposed to be just a single one but it became longer than originally planned so I had to split it once more. The next one will, of course, be about Yin's little escapade in the city.


	9. Chapter 9: Girl's Night Out

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

Chapter 9:

GIRL'S NIGHT OUT

* * *

~ Vale City ~

Yin rode through the city streets at speeds just below the limit as she tried to locate a certain establishment. The sun was beginning to set as she left Beacon and by the time she arrived at the city night had fallen. It had taken her half an hour to reach the entertainment district after she entered the city, if her guess was correct the place she was looking for shouldn't be hard to spot. Such a feature would be bad business sense after all.

After another half hour of driving around, the blonde finally arrived at _The Axis_. The establishment was a large building, taking up almost a quarter of the city block and the building was identifiable from a distance with its logo: a giant four pointed star orbited by three smaller stars on the upper right. The _Axis_ was famous enough even in Atlas as a socializing hub for many people from all kinds of background. Its most famous feature was a tiered system of floors separated by "attendants" who led people inside. This system's design was clear for all to see - the higher you went, the more important you were. Thankfully, Yin didn't need to go up very high. All she needed was to know the names of the most reliable information brokers in the city and work her way from that point.

Yin drove into the underground parking lot after being admitted. Axis' entrance requirement, like most social establishments, was mainly a dress code and apparently her outfit qualified her for entrance when stopped by the guards. Whoever owned the establishment clearly relied on the tier-system to check the movements of people within the building. She removed her helmet and shook her hair free. The front of the motorbike popped open to reveal a small trunk in which she placed her helmet. Satisfied that her ride was secure she stepped into a world of drinks, red carpets and dizzying lights.

* * *

~ Beacon Academy ~

"C'mon Aria!" Nemo protested as he, and Gaelle, followed the brunette along Beacon's hallways, "We simply don't have the tech to make a micro transmitter the size of that pendant!"

Earlier when Aria denied to Yin that the pendant she gave didn't have a tracking device she was telling the truth. The item in question was as plain as could be and was picked up during their shopping spree a while back. However, the second that Yin voiced her suspicion Aria was immediately taken with the idea and promptly ordered their resident tech-guy, A.K.A. Nemo, to build one.

"In fact only the police and the military are allowed to have that, and even then I think that there's a law saying you have to secure a court order and..." the blue haired continued to talk, once more slipped into his habit of lecturing on anything related to the subject matter.

"Can't or Won't?" Aria said, giving him an imperious look.

Gaelle, as normal, followed silently behind, seemingly content to watch the situations her teammates got themselves into.

"I think more on can't." Nemo answered, "the law I mentioned is a special law which means that the second I put the last part of the tracker in and make it functional I could get arrested."

Aria turned to face him and huffed, Nemo's lecture put him in his zone and his need to talk about the topic seemingly overpowered his fear of her tantrums.

"Ah, its so good to know that we some actual law abiding students among us this year." a smooth, silky voice said.

Aria whirled around in surprise and found that the Assistant Headmistress, Ruby Rose, had suddenly appeared behind her along with...Weiss Schnee.

Nemo was equally shocked, perhaps even more so, as he was _facing_ the direction his professor was clearly _not occupying_ a few seconds ago.

Gaelle, with the least attirbutable guilt of the group, simply hung back with her usual blank expression.

"So unlike your dear leader." Professor Rose continued ignoring the shocked looks as if she snuck up on people on a daily basis. The Schnee CEO beside her said nothing but looked at the group like she was observing something through a display case.

"So this is that troublemaker's team?" the snow-haired woman asked.

"Minus the ringleader." Professor Rose replied, slipping into her habit of ignoring people in front of her until it was time to actually address them.

"Speaking of which, where is she?" the silver eyed professor asked to no one in particular.

Weiss remained quiet as she was busy observing the team of Ruby's niece. To her mind they looked terribly unbalanced as one. Whoever "refined" the selection and matching process, which was obviously not Ruby, didn't do a good enough job. Her eyes lingered on a young girl with chestnut colored hair and light green eyes.

"You." she said, her voice was as ice but contained no malice, simply being used to speaking to people in such a manner, "I know you."

Aria stiffed and straightened her back as if she was on audition or...inspection.

"You used to be one of the singers under our sponsored music companies." Weiss said.

Aria nodded in response, her eyes in faraway gaze.

"Pity." the Schnee CEO, "You had it going so well for you. I can't imagine why you would want to be a Hunter, noble profession though it is."

"I'm sure she has a very good reason Weiss." Ruby said, "Becoming a hunter has its own reward." The Assistant Head smiled mysteriously.

"Hmmm." her partner nodded, "I suppose it is."

Aria lowered her head as the two women walked past them and continued talking in low voices.

"Uh, Aria?" Nemo inquired when Aria failed to move for a few seconds.

"Let's go." she finally said in an empty voice.

* * *

~ The Axis, Tier 4 ~

It was early in the night. Too early. People still loitered in their seats either talking with their companions or not yet in a festive enough mood to hit the dance floor. Not that Yin planned on doing anything of that sort anytime soon. She was here for information on information brokers, and no one who looked knowledgable enough on that was here yet. Still it was better to put on appearances so she ordered a drink at the bar.

Despite the hour there was early bird on the counter well into the process of getting himself drunk. He had a glass in one of his hands, which Yin presumed was an extremely potent drink to reduce him to rambling to himself, while his other hand groped for peanuts on the bar's absurdly large peanut jar. The person in question appeared to be around Yin's age and had light green hair. It was really a shame, considering what else he could possibly do in his free time though those who came to _The Axis_ weren't exactly the crowd to frequent local pub either. Once her drink was served she edged away as his hand came steadily, if that was really possible in his state, nearer to her shoulder. The green haired person probably mistook it as the peanut jar in his inebriated state. Unfortunately, dodging trouble is easier said than done. In fact it interposed itself between her and the inebriate.

"New here?" He flashed her a smile, "I'm Angelo by the way."

"What makes you say that?" Yin didn't bother to give her name, hoping against all hope that it would be taken as a sign of disinterest. Why do these things keep happening to her?!

"Too early for dancing," Angelo said, "and you came in alone. Maybe I can fix that?"

"No thanks." Yin answered, "I'm looking for something."

Someone mumbled something incoherent. Probably green hair behind Angelo.

"So mysterious!" He chuckled, "Let me guess, you're recruiting people for a rescue mission out of town?"

"You clearly watch too many movies." Yin said taking a sip of her drink and regretting the action immediately once she saw the...attention on Angelo's face to the act. The blonde wondered briefly if he, like green hair, already had a glass or two to drink before sauntering over to her seat.

"Aren't the pretty ones always in the movies?" He grinned.

Yin groaned internally inside. This guy was even more persistent than Nemo when they first met. There would be no random convenient to distract him and prevent her from having to...

"Whooa!"

The green haired teen behind Angelo attempted to lean on the bar with his elbow and slipped. It just so happened that the elbow in question was part of the arm that held his drink. The amber liquid rose into the air like a wave - and promptly crashed on Angelo.

Unprepared for such a happening the gray haired patron stood shocked in place. The color of the drink didn't help either. It turned his gray, almost silvery hair into the color of urine and soaked his black V-neck shirt down to the abdomen.

Yin fought stifle a laugh by covering her mouth while simultaneously trying her best not to look amused by the accident.

"Whoops! Almost fell!" the teen slurred, "I'm good."

Maybe some divine being heard Yin's silent plea and decided to give her a boon that night. Maybe if the green haired teen hadn't said anything Angelo might have walked it off. Maybe the divine being was simply bored that night.

Whatever the case was Angelo whirled around, pretty fast for someone Yin didn't consider Hunter material and swung his fist. The punch landed squarely on green-hair's face and knocked him to the floor. In a moment, Angelo was on him pinning the downed teen as he raised his fist for another strike.

"Who-" Angelo growled as he punched the downed 'opponent', "-the fuck-"

He raised his fist again, "do you think-"

After the second punch landed Yin decided enough was enough. While Angelo's initial reaction was somewhat understandable, this was taking things too far. When a person was drunk they were generally either violent or passive, and the person on the floor looked to be the latter. Before the second hit landed Yin grabbed Angelo's wrist and stopped the punch before it connected. While Yin had a policy of non-interference with another's business it wasn't so strictly adhered to as to stand by and watch someone get beat (potentially) to death.

"I think he's had enough." She said sternly.

Angelo, however, disagreed. He pushed Yin's hand aside or rather tried to. Yin kept a tight grip on the arm and prevented him from continuing the beating.

"Didn't you see what that fuck did?!" He was clearly not intimidated by someone who could hold him place with just one hand.

"It was an accident." Yin said, trying to smooth over the situation. She was annoyed at how Angelo didn't seem to calm down the least bit after being stopped. Worse still, she was close enough to him now to note that he didn't smell the least bit drunk. Which meant that his faculties were well in a position to control his behavior.

"Ha! That's rich!" He snarled, "I bet you wouldn't be saying that if you were the one drenched you wh-"

Yin cut off his tirade with her own punch to his face with her free hand. Still holding his arm she tossed him through a glass sphere which doubled as an ornament and a refractor for the dance lights. People who missed the commotion due to the music now looked curiously at the source of the crash as Angelo rose to his feet, crunching some of the broken glass underfoot.

"Don't you know who I am?!"

"You said that twice." Yin said casually leaning to one side with a hand on her hip, "But no, I don't know who you are."

Angelo responded by reaching behind his back and pulling out a flat object. He pressed a trigger and a blade extended before it telescoped once more to the length of a short sword. Its owner had a feral grin on his face.

Cute.

"I'm going to cut up that pretty face of yours!" He dashed forward, his arm with the weapon extended.

Yin intercepted him with a kick to the shin causing him fall over forward but before he could land or yell in pain she kneed him in the face. She walked over to him as he scrambled up and swung the weapon clumsily now that his vision was filled with tears of pain. Yin grabbed his sword arm and with a well practiced move dragged him back to the floor using the limb as leverage. Once down she twisted until he gave up his hold on the sword. Then she noticed the music had died down.

"Well, well..." A sultry voice cooed, "what have we here?"

Yin looked up to see a pale beauty in a red and white dress walking towards them. The woman had midnight black hair that hung past her shoulders, part of which was held in place by an elaborate pin. The red and white colors blended together seamlessly almost as if the viewer was looking at not a single person but two. It was her bracelets and her boots, however, that held Yin's attention. While ordinary in appearance, as one who was trained to forge her own weapons she was able to recognize another's based on the small lines needed for parts to to move.

"I didn't start it." Yin said, a bit too defensively now that people were looking at her. She vaguely sensed Angelo getting up and limping away. At least that was one problem out of the way.

"Of course you didn't." the raven haired woman smiled, sharpened claws extending from her bracelets as she spoke, "That's what they all say."

"This may sound a bit trivial," She said, "but I don't like it when people break things in my place."

The woman lunged at Yin who immediately ducked back to avoid a swipe of the claws. A follow up kick to her face forced her to lean back. Sensing an opportunity, Yin's arm shot forward in an attempt to grab one of her attacker's arm but her opponent apparently foresaw this as the leg that missed bounced back which caused Yin to abort her attack. Not giving the blonde time to rest, the woman followed up with a series of jabs, swipes and kicks that left no room for Yin to counter.

"Shit! She's good!" Yin cursed silently, "Why the hell do I always leave my weapons behind!?"

She eyed Angelo's dropped weapon on the floor. It was pretty short to what she was used to but it was better than nothing. First the security guard's weapons, then the mercenaries and now this. Frowning at the irony of having to continually scoop up weapons that weren't hers she maneuvered the fight towards the short sword. Demonstrating her wiliness, however, the raven haired woman made it difficult for Yin to get there but somehow the blonde made it. Stomping her foot down on the edge of the handle she flipped the weapon upwards and caught it neatly in her left.

With a weapon in hand the claws didn't seem so dangerous and the steel tipped boots no longer hurt as much as Yin parried the blows but there was still a ways to go. The raven haired woman, who never once relented on her assault, was clearly had experience fighting Aura users. She used all of her limbs to launch some kind of attack. She executed a jumping roundhouse which sent Yin skidding backwards. However, the weapon in hand was a game changer. Now that she had some distance between her opponent Yin launched her own attacks, swinging at her opponent's leg that was used for balance and then following up with an attack that was supposed to shatter bone in the arm. Though all of her attacks were blocked her hair began to glow once more now that Yin had begun to strike something.

It is said that experience trumps talent but the increased abilities her Aura granted her now put Yin on par with her opponent. Deciding that the stalemate had to broken, Yin risked a gamble. She waited for an overhead swipe from one of the claw-arms.

"Come on, come one" She breathed as continued to weather the strikes.

There! The attack she was waiting for came. Yin blocked the attack with her free hand while she rammed the blade in between the claws of her opponent's other weapon and twisted. A kick rose to slam into her gut but Yin blocked it with a raised leg. Letting the sword go Yin grabbed her opponent and using her enhanced strength, threw her overhead using the leg she had locked to kick out and add to the force of the throw. The raven haired woman flipped over once and lunged towards Yin. Yin barely had enough time to grab the blade in mid-drop and swing towards the red and white blur streaking towards her. The blade stopped millimeters from her opponents throat while a claw-arm stopped a good inch from her face. Staring back at Yin were two barrels of a projectile weapon between the claws that were strangely unused during the fight.

"Bang! haha!" Her raven haired opponent laughed as she twitched her wrist.

People around them began to cheer once it was clear that the fight had stopped. Yin lowered her weapon tentatively as the lights changed and the music began to pick up. What was with people in Vale?! Did watching a fight get them in a partying mood?

Two employees in suits positioned themselves behind Yin, while another walked up to the woman and whispered something in her ear. She nodded and gestured to Yin to follow her. Seeing little choice in the matter she followed, but at a distance. Soon the attendants let people onto the dance floor who filled the space left by the fighters like liquid and began to dance. The glass fragments left behind by Angelo's brief flight were quickly and efficiently swept away and soon even that spot was occupied by Vale's nocturnals.

The music of the room began to dim as Yin followed the woman in red and white. They came to a halt in front of an elevator and the three employees left quietly, leaving Yin alone with the woman who never once looked back. As the elevator came she gestured for Yin to enter, seemingly unconcerned that Yin was still carrying Angelo's lost weapon. The ride took a lot longer that Yin expected and she used the time to steal glances at the mysterious woman beside her. Other than an occasional glance at the floor counter indicating a shared impatience, her companion revealed nothing else. Finally the elevator stopped at what appeared to be the top floor.

Stepping inside the room Yin observed her surrounding. The area was lavishly decorated, but not to the point of being ostentatious. It was also dominated by the colors red, black and white. The woman led her to a polished wooden desk in front of a window that revealed a spectacular view of the city.

"Hello desk and rotating chair...," Yin thought as the woman placed her hand on top of said chair, "wonder who the big boss sitting on you is."

The woman spun the chair about revealing it to be empty before gracefully dropping herself down onto it. She owned the place? Oh, nothing does go according to plan, even those still in the head.

"You can leave that anywhere," the woman gestured to the weapon Yin still clutched, "just don't drop it on the carpet. Drink?"

"No thanks," Yin declined as she placed the weapon on table within reach, "I think we've all seen tonight what it does to people."

She chuckled in response as she procured a glass and bottle for herself in an unseen drawer.

"New to Vale kid?" the woman asked while pouring herself a drink, "I'm guessing so since you came too early to party or that you didn't know who that punk was. The name's Miltiades by the way."

"Yeah," Yin said guardedly, "Is he someone important? He doesn't look like it or act like it."

Miltiades smiled as she took a sip from her drink. "He's not important but his father is, being Councilor Sanct and all.

It was nice of you to beat some sense into him or just beat him, he's been causing trouble to any girl that catches his eye even with they're with a boyfriend."

"So why did you..."

"Butt in?" Miltiades interrupted as she refilled her glass, "He's been escorted out several times before but I never got a complaint from the councilor. No one's ever dared to hit him back. Still, it would be good to put on a little show in case he runs crying back to daddy."

Miltiades pressed a button and screen lit up. Cycling through different recordings she eventually played the fight between her and Yin. Yin now understood what Miltiades did. In case the councilor came knocking she could show him that Miltiades did something that was _technically_ in favor of Angelo. But still...

"See? No harm done, and you got the people in a partying mood."

"What would have happened if I was just a regular person? That I couldn't hold out against you?" Yin growled. She was really beginning to dislike Vale.

Miltiades laughed melodiously as she set her glass down and walked over towards Yin.

"Since you look like her, I was confident that wouldn't be the case," Miltiades said grinning, "You fight differently though, you use a bladed weapon or without that you resort to throws."

"And who is this 'her' exactly?" Yin feigned disinterest. The truth was her heart was hammering in her chest, but she had to project an image of calmness lest she come off as begging. A show of vulnerability wouldn't get her what she wanted to know.

"You can drop the act. Yang told me all about how you looked _so much_ like her as a kid. Also, I spent enough time with your mother to know when she's agitated," Miltiades said with amusement, "And you take a lot from in her in that regard aside from your looks. Want me to spell it out how I knew?"

"You've been frowning ever since you arrived at the club," She raised a finger, "When I mentioned her your frown worsened, if that's actually possible."

"And you sounded annoyed up until a moment ago," Miltiades concluded.

"Observant." Yin drawled, "You make it sound like you knew her."

"Not as close as people would've thought," Miltiades smiled wistfully, "but yeah, me and my sister knew her. She used to inexplicably drop by our apartment. Emphasis on 'inexplicable'."

"There's a lot of past tense here..." Yin thought, "Better tread carefully."

"What for?"

"Weren't you listening dear?" Miltiades looked at her pointedly, "I could tell you what she did, not why. Like not saying a word and falling asleep on the couch while sitting. The stiff neck she got the next day was worth it. I don't think she to us to get away from her problems because she never mentioned any. Seemed to be pretty happy with her lot in life."

She laughed once more at the memory, in a friendly sort of way. "Sometimes she'd just talk with us about little stuff. Nothing too mind blowing."

"Then she suddenly stopped coming," Miltiades said shifting the mood, "At first we wondered if it to do with you since, you might not remember, but you were apparently a little tornado at three years old or that she might have another one on the way."

The raven haired woman looked out to the city with an unreadable expression in her eyes.

"But no, a lot of them apparently never came back."

"From where?" Yin said with as much control as she could muster.

Miltiades frowned at her.

"What do I look like? A record keeper?"

Contrary to her words, however, Miltiades stood up and approached a small book case, moving her fingers lazily through the individual books until she found what she was looking for. Rather than a book, however, it was a plastic frame. Spinning it casually on a finger Miltiades flicked it at Yin as she neared the table once again. Yin caught it in mid-air, conscious of not applying too much force lest she shatter it. Her eyes went wide when she saw what it was.

It was a newspaper clipping, slightly yellowed with age. Her eyes quickly scanned the front page as if the object would disappear in a matter of moments.

"Now what was the name of that song again?" Militiades wondered out loud as she began to hum slowly.

Yin took in as much as she could but the front page, despite the gravity of the situation then, was only a preliminary report. The headline read:

**PATCH LOST TO GRIMM!**

**4 HUNTERS RETURN OUT OF 100**

Yin's beating heart threatened to explode out of her chest as she recognized the four names listed. Behind her she barely heard Miltiades end her song with "die" as the names burned themselves into her mind. Above the names were pictures of the survivors who were, admittedly still very young, but nonetheless recognizable:

PYRRHA NIKOS

JAUNE ARC

WEISS SCHNEE

RUBY ROSE...

* * *

Author's note:

Finally done! This took a couple of days longer than expected since I was diverted by another project. Things are definitely picking up for this story which is good. Also I might bump the rating down to T since I think some of the issues I will present later are actually on that level. I'll also try to see if the summary could be updated to include OC because while the story is indeed focused on Ruby and Weiss its seen through Yin's viewpoint.

Miltiades makes a cameo here and it was really difficult to decide which one of the twins would but I finally decided that Miltiades would fit this scene best.

Oh yeah, and just in case - the title isn't misspelled.

Till next time!


	10. Chapter 10: Shifting Winds

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

* * *

Chapter 10:

SHIFTING WINDS

~ SDC Facility, Unknown Location ~

Weiss Schnee stepped off her private VTOL and scanned the immediate surroundings. It would not be the first time someone tried to kill her just as she got down from her ride. An attack though, was highly unlikely. The research facility she was in now was known only to a few and was equipped with state of the art security and surveillance, plus the landing pad was built in such a way as to prevent snipers from finding any suitable nests. Still, the habit she had acquired since childhood was now impossible to get rid of.

A soft thud and several whines behind Weiss signaled that her two guards had already deployed. From what appeared to be two rectangles, various shapes rearranged themselves until two vaguely humanoid machines formed. Completing their transformation, the droids each hefted auto-cannons that could fire both regular and explosive Dust rounds capable neutralizing all but the most armored Grimm or fanatical assassins. A pair of optical sensors flashed bright red and they assumed a ready stance. Not for the first time, Weiss rolled her eyes internally. The two droids were actually a "gift" from Ruby a few years ago after Weiss had made the mistake of leaving her alone near some leftover components from the AK-400 series. While her friend's sentiment was not lost to Weiss, the Schnee CEO made a mental note never to leave Ruby unattended in her compound again.

Weiss approached the lone person on the landing pad who awaited her arrival, Durandal, the Director of operations of the research facility. The man was past his fifties, with his hair greying at the edges and dressed smartly as befitting his position in the company. He greeted the blue eyed CEO with a small bow and Weiss gestured for him to lead the way.

"I trust your flight went well miss Schnee?" Durandal inquired as they walked the hallways.

There were several glass windows showcasing the interior of several laboratories where scientists, engineers and technicians worked on the next products to be released by the Schnee Dust Company. Ordinarily, the windows would be polarized to prevent casual observation but for the night they were left clear for the inspection conducted by Weiss. The two droids lumbered behind the pair, continually swiveling their heads as they searched for threats to their owner.

"That depends on what I will find here tonight Director," Weiss replied coolly, "A trip can become unpleasant towards the end if one were to learn that investments were not productive."

"You will not be disappointed then," Durandal said confidently, "What would you like to see first?"

"The one in the itinerary, of course." came the reply.

The small group walked for several minutes until they reached an elevator. Durandal opened the access panel with a keycard and the protective outer layers opened. Next he entered his biometric data and soon they were on their way once again to the more exotic experiments the facility housed.

"Here we are miss," Durandal said, "Laboratory E-67. Dr. Hilbert has told me that the device is already complete. He's even performed a few successful tries, though I must admit to not being present in any of them."

As they entered a small group of researchers turned to acknowledge them though, except for one, none left their stations. The man who approached them looked slightly younger than Durandal by a few years. He wore a pair of thin rimmed glasses, and a laboratory coat over his suit which looked like it was used more as a portable stationery storage rather than the first line of defense against accidental spills.

"This is Dr. Joachin Hilbert, the head researcher of this laboratory." Durandal introduced the man, "And this is obviously our CEO, Joachin." Durandal smiled.

"Of course, there's no missing it." Dr. Hilbert said cordially, "Good evening miss."

"Good evening," Weiss greeted back, "Durandal tells me this project is complete, which I suppose is true?"

"Well...the things is," Dr. Hilbert suddenly fidgeted, "Its a failure miss."

"Excuse me?" Weiss' tone was frosty as she raised a questioning eyebrow. The two droids' optic lens grew bright red as if sensing their owner's displeasure.

"What is the meaning of this?!" Durandal said, clearly alarmed, "You said it was finished Joachin! You even mentioned that you conducted tests!"

"Oh, yes. Perhaps I should clarify," Dr. Hilbert said, close to withering under Weiss' glare, "The device itself is complete, but the effects are dangerous to all living things. Except Grimm."

"As you know miss every living thing has Aura, no matter how small even in plants," Dr. Hilbert began to explain, "Whenever used, the being will naturally replenish that at a fixed rate depending on their type. The device we invented can drain the Aura from a creature and convert it into usable stored energy, even greater than the Energy type Dust the company discovered years ago!"

Dr. Hilbert seemed to be more confident now after explaining. It was known within the company that Weiss Schnee was a hard but fair individual. After advocating the research and application of Energy type Dust, even actively helping with input from experiences she gained as a Hunter, he was sure she would see the danger of the point he was going to make.

"Unfortunately, the process of extraction as of now is a one way trip," he continued, "Almost every creature we've tested it on died a short while after their Aura was extracted. The process is extremely difficult to stop, and even then the subjects remained unconscious for a while. I theorize even humans with their Aura unlocked will only last for an hour at most."

"And you tested this on people?" The CEO asked.

"No! No, of course not Ma'm!" Dr. Hilbert looked sick at the very idea, "The moral implications, not to mention the illegality-"

"Good." Weiss cut him off, "It won't do to have rumors of us abducting people for experiments."

Dr. Hilbert sighed with relief. He knew she would understand the dangers of the dev-

"Show me."

The doctor blinked owlishly.

"We...used up all of our test animals miss." He said shyly.

Weiss scanned the room and the other researchers who were listening in ducked their heads, as if she would choose one of them as test subject. The blue eyed woman's eyes fell on an unfortunate creature near the end of the room.

"Not all it seems," Weiss smiling dangerously, "Are you particularly attached to that hamster since you seem to have left it alone Dr. Hilbert?"

"You mean Hammy?" Dr. Hilbert asked as he looked back at the cage, "Oh, he's not a test animal miss, he's the laboratory's house pet."

"The rules didn't forbid it and I obtained permission from Director Durandal here." he added sheepishly, "After going through the usual checks of course."

"You named your pet hamster _Hammy_?" Weiss asked incredulously. Were she not facing the man she would have done a double take. That would have been embarrassing.

Durandal coughed.

"In addition to the security checks, I added the condition that they leave the naming of the device to us young miss." The elderly director whispered as he leaned in, "For fear of this..."

"Just as well." Weiss muttered under her breath, "Put him in doctor. We'll get you a new hamster."

Dr. Hilbert hesitated a bit but finally decided that avoiding the wrath of the CEO and the life of a rodent was worth a demonstration of the dangers of the invention. He nodded to another researcher who removed the hamster while Dr. Hilbert himself guided the officers to the control bank.

Several minutes later, the trio stood behind a viewing port that shielded the viewers from any unfortunate accidents that might occur with Dr. Hilbert explaining the workings of the device. The machine could be built to draw Aura from a wide area, though this would harm any unintended subjects. Instead, the laboratory discovered that by building a funnel of sorts, the area of effect could be limited to no more than a couple of inches.

Finally, the hamster was wheeled in and the researcher quickly left the booth. Dr. Hilbert tapped the correct sequence and the machine began to hum. A tiny robotic arm with something akin to a diamond tip lowered itself in the enclosure. The hamster immediately became agitated and began to claw on the windows of the enclosure. Other than this, however, there was no indication of anything amiss in the enclosure. After the minute the brown rodent slumped as if exhausted though it became apparent that it was all but asleep since its breathing stopped.

"Ironic isn't it?" Dr. Hilbert said as the device powered down, "A device that takes energy needs energy to start."

He turned find that the CEO's eyes were wide, perhaps finally recognizing the dangers of the device.

"Excellent. Give a copy of the plans to Durandal." She said, here eyes returning to normal, "Don't forget to give him the working prototype as well. Don't forget the manual and the specs."

The researcher was stunned. Didn't she just see what happened?!

"But Ma'm!" He protested, "We've found no way to make the device practicable! The process is-"

"Difficult to stop you said," Weiss cut him off, her voice frosty, "But not impossible. Did it ever occur to you that Hammy the hamster would have lived if such a failsafe were invented? I could think of a dozen ways this machine could be used such as Aura power packs for Hunters who could store their own energy before a mission. If not, the concept is good enough and could open the path to new areas of research. We could even tweak it to work on Grimm."

Her mechanical guards shifted threateningly behind Durandal who made sure to be out of the way of the machines should they suddenly rush forward.

Dr. Hilbert though still looked uncertain and he fidgeted in place.

"Dr. Hilbert," Weiss said in a more soothing voice, "I am not one of those businessmen in movies motivated by greed. Obviously, it would be bad if a large part of our customers suddenly died. During my years as a Hunter, I've realized that anything that can help survive another day is well worth pursuing. I'm not saying we release the device immediately to the consumers. What you have done is made a concept into a reality. The next stage will be to explore it uses. Red Dust certainly didn't seem _practicable_ when it was first discovered."

"If you say so miss." He said hesitantly.

"Well, now that that's settled perhaps we should go see if the others have equally promising result then?" Durandal said, clearly relieved.

Throughout the evening Weiss was in a _very_ good mood. During the demonstration she had held her breath, praying that the project would work. This division and the entire facility was built to slowly and covertly develop the machine after years of planning on their part. The other projects, while beneficial to society in general and to the company specifically, were all purposely exotic as to not raise suspicions but in the end it all came down to the concept of the device now completed.

And it paid off.

She had also convinced that somewhat sheltered researcher that such a dangerous device could be used by Hunters on the field. Safety measures? Hah! As long as the area of effect won't reach the control room it should be good enough. After all, when it would be used on the people she and the others had in mind they'd be doing them a favor...

* * *

~ Beacon Dining Hall ~

Yin Xiao Long had a lot to process based on what she learned over the past week. At least she wasn't hearing her voice in her head anymore. While her plan to gather information was admittedly a little bit on the amateur side, at least she struck gold that night. Now she had faces, a date and a location. Of the survivors that day, two were inaccessible at the moment, being in Atlas while another was the CEO of worldwide corporation and apparently a friend of the fourth survivor whom she managed to royally piss off. Interviews were definitely not an option at the table.

Which meant that the next clue she could viably follow was the events on Patch. The problem was, the island was giant scab on the horizon now and cordoned off to - well, everyone.

"One step at a time," The blonde thought, "Maybe I can start with some history books in the city or the school library."

This path at least had some prospects with midterms approaching and whatnot. Maybe history class did have some use after all. Still, upon reflection, at least she had something to go on which was a lot better than how she began.

Putting her plans at the back of her mind, Yin spied the last caramel pudding on the food counter. She loved sweets but the chef here at Beacon was a master at making desserts. The caramel pudding at Beacon was rare due to the balance the dessert's sweetness without sacrificing the treat's consistency. It also did not help that it looked damn good.

Unfortunately, the rest of her team was ahead, having arrived late due Aria wrangling them into going to the school fair after the exams. Not wanting to seem rude, she asked them if any were getting the dessert.

Nemo and Gaelle responded by shaking their heads while Aria whined about Yin gaining more weight if she did get the sweet dessert.

"Honestly, with all our physical training is there really anyway for any of us to gain any weight?" Yin thought, "Oh well, mine!"

"Thanks guys!" She said cheerily as she moved to obtain her prize, only to find it gone. Yin was shocked, didn't she look away only for a moment? She looked over at her team's trays, and then at the counter once again when the previous search yielded nothing.

"It's gone." Yin said, bewildered.

"Oh my god," a voice behind her said, equally surprised, "What's gone?"

"The-" Yin did a double take just as she was about to explain.

Standing in front of her was the green haired teen she saw in _The Axis_. Only this time, his hair was neatly combed and he now wore the Beacon uniform. He also didn't look the least bit drunk.

"Why are you dressed as a student?" Yin asked, completely unprepared for a second shock in such a short amount of time.

"Because I am one?" He replied cautiously, as if Yin had asked him a trick question.

"Oh hey, Dio!" Nemo said, moving in between them, "Wait, you two know each other?"

"No, we don't." Yin said through gritted teeth when she saw the dessert on his tray.

Despite the "accident" created by Dio that night which opened up a new lead on her search; the fact that she got into not one, but two fights meant that Professor Rose would have something on her if she ever stepped on her toes again. And here was the freaking witness right in front of her...

"What?!" Aria shrilled, "You mean you really did go on a -hmpfgft!"

Gaelle, ever the reasonable one clamped her hand on Aria's mouth before she could say what Yin thought Aria was going to say and unwittingly spread more rumors about her. It was bad enough that some people now thought she had some kind of vigilante streak when Aria talked about the incident at the warehouse.

"Uh, honestly I don't remember," Dio said, a bit embarrassed, "The drinks here in Vale are pretty strong. All the bartender told me was that my nose would need a lift before it could look normal if not for a blonde girl helping me out. Apparently I spilled a drink on some ass who had a temper."

"Dude what do you mean strong?" Nemo chuckled, "You get hammered after a _single_ glass!"

"I do not!" Dio protested.

"Yin you saved someone?!" Aria gushed, breaking out of Gaelle's hold, "Tell me about it!" In the background Nemo and Dio continued to argue and make fun of each other.

"I really don't think it classified as 'saving' someone." Yin said, attempting to dissuade Aria which was fast becoming another habit between them.

"Who saved who?" Dio interrupted, "Oh...that was you?! Thanks, but uh I wouldn't mind hearing about it too since I was apparently knocked out."

"This way!" Aria said taking hold of Yin's arm possessively, threatening to spill the contents of their trays as she led them to their table. Secretly, Yin wondered if something the universe really did enjoy watching her get caught up in these shenanigans.

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, back to these short chapters, this one reminded me of a post-credits scene. The real difficulty of this chapter was that while it is important to the story I didn't know where to place it. In the end I decided to make it separate since the previous chapter was intended to end that way.

As mentioned before I'm bumping the rating down to T.

Also, I don't think I said this before but thanks for the reviews and the follows on this!

Till next time.


	11. Chapter 11: Fair Days

**RWBY is owned by Roosterteeth and Monty Oum.**

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Chapter 11:

FAIR DAYS

"_Beacon is our home now."_

_\- Yang Xiao Long_

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~ Beacon Dorms, early morning ~

"_In other news the Vale Charity Gala will push through with Vale's most famous attending the event including..."_

Yin lounged in the common area, relaxing after a long and particularly difficult midterm week. The news this week was decidedly unremarkable, with little to no reports on any new robberies or destruction of transports.

"Its almost as if whoever is responsible either ran out of things to steal or transports to blow up." Yin thought wryly, "Oh well. Not my problem."

Yin allowed her head to tilt back on the couch, still groggy. For all the superhuman feats Aura allowed, it couldn't put the body's circadian rhythm back into place with all the late night studies she pulled over the last week.

The blonde intended to spend her break kicking back at first and then get back to her private mission. Her teammates seemed to get the first idea as well. Nemo and Gaelle sat across each other on the table. They really were as opposite as two people could get, but surprisingly worked well together on and off classes. Whereas Nemo had blue hair, was tanned, and talkative; Gaelle had red hair, was fairly pale and quiet (but far from shy in her opinions). With a laptop each on hand they had taken to browsing whatever suited their interests and had, thankfully, voiced no plans for a group "bonding excursion" as some teams were planning on doing.

Wait a minute...

Yin cracked open her left eye and spied the two. One. Two. Her eye looked down at her body, counting it as the third person in the room. Oh no.

As if on cue the door to their room slammed open.

"~_We're freeee!_~" Aria sang joyfully. She danced merrily around the room and sang about how their exams were over and that she wasn't meant to be cooped up on her desk like a bird in a cage. Nemo chuckled, having adjusted to living with his favorite singer and her frequent 'breaking into song episodes', and went back to his laptop. Gaelle, as normal, merely looked at Aria before returning her eyes to the screen. Yin pretended to be asleep.

Unfortunately it didn't deter the overly happy brunette.

"C'mon Yin!" She sang, "You promised we'd go to the school fair after exams!"

"I know you're awake~~~" She started poking Yin's cheek when her partner didn't respond.

Yin winced as her eyes begrudgingly registered light when they opened.

"Can't we just spend a day inside?" Yin mumbled, "We have an entire week."

"What?!" Aria gasped, "but we have so much to do! Besides - you promised!"

"Promised what?" Yin said, genuinely confused.

"To go to the fair with us!" Aria pouted.

"Did I say that?" Yin asked no one in particular, eliciting puffed cheeks from Aria.

"Uh, a week before the exams." Nemo answered gesturing backwards over his shoulder.

"Yes, but not the details." Gaelle added.

"Huh, I don't remember that." Yin said thoughtfully.

By now Aria had grabbed her wrist and was unsuccessfully attempting to pull her off the couch as Yin struggled to remember.

"In." Aria huffed as she pulled once more, "The. Hallway!"

"Ow!" Her grip slipped and she landed on her butt.

"Oh yeah! Now I remember!" Yin said, "Sort of." Her eyes lit up briefly with the memory only to be tackled by Aria.

"See? You promised!" She said accusingly, as if Yin had already broken her promise. Then Aria noted how her arms were wrapped around Yin's body, how close they were. So she decided to pull out the Big Guns.

She widened her eyes.

"Uh, What are you doing?" Yin asked uncomfortably.

In response Aria's eyes widened further.

"Stop that!" Yin chided, "What are you, ten years old?"

In response Aria's saucer-sized eyes quivered.

"That's just- Ugh, fine."

"Yes!" Aria cried triumphantly. Separating herself from Yin she did an impressive ballet spin, "Works every time!"

"No it won't." Yin grumbled, "Only because I promised earlier, which in hindsight I shouldn't have."

Which was the truth. She was so caught up in the events that week that she must have mumbled her agreement absentmindedly. Gotta watch out for that next time.

"Nuh uh!" Aria crowed, "No can resist THE EYES!"

"Try me next time." Yin said annoyed, "When do we leave and how long are we staying out?"

"Its an all day thing!~" Aria sang, spinning in place once more, "And I don't know how long, just relax will you?"

Yin mumbled something incoherent as she walked towards the girl's room.

"Oooh! Changing are we?" Aria said playfully.

"No," Yin answered back, "Getting my weapons." For public safety reasons, Beacon's rocket propelled lockers would not activate if the owner called for it within city limits, preventing Yin from arming herself previously.

"Just leave them behind!" Aria said, "Nothing's gonna happen-"

She cut off in mid-sentence when Yin whirled around and marched towards her. There was a noticeable drop in the room's temperature. The brunette squeaked in terror as she backed up, only to be betrayed by the couch as she fell on her back. As Yin walked up to her the blonde's pupils were blood red (a general indicator of her displeasure) as opposed to her regular lilac shade, her shadow enveloping Aria. The Huntress-in-training tried to bury herself in the couch to no avail while her fellow teammates made no move to intervene.

"Every single time I leave them behind, _something_ does happen," Yin growled darkly, "And it is far less amusing than you make them out to be. Either they come, or we stay. Understand?"

Aria nodded numbly, still looking like a deer caught in the headlights of a vehicle.

"Good." Yin's expression returned to normal as quickly as she had gotten angry and headed back towards the room.

"Sheesh, she really needs to lighten up." Aria said to no one in particular, uncurling herself.

* * *

~ Two hours later... ~

Beacon Academy's shape was roughly circular in nature and the Fair organizers had put this design to good use. Where a school, even for Hunters, would have an irregular shape and thus force the administration to either use only one part or the entire grounds while spreading out the booths. The latter of which would be justified with the likely claim that students would come across an interesting or unexpected booth as a surprise. However, Vale's Beacon was different. Where booths anywhere else would be scattered or predetermined, the academy's booths were simply set up on a first come basis. The circular design meant that one would only have to head in a particular direction and (eventually) experience all that the Fair had to offer at the end of the week.

From atop, the sight would have been breathtaking with swirls of color produced by differing clothes of the students (who could wear whatever they wanted for the week) and visiting Hunter Alumnus could be seen at the right height and vantage point if not for the age old restrictions in place. Long ago, for a reason lost to the mists of time, Beacon shut itself off from the capital city allowing only Hunters, students and authorized personnel inside its halls. It was for this sad reason that this view would only be available to those present in the grounds.

"Stop that!" Aria scolded Yin as took another bite of her bacon barbecue.

"You said to enjoy myself." Yin answered back as she chewed, "So I am."

"But bacon is just fat!" Aria exclaimed, "Do you know how much fat you're adding to your body with just that one stick?"

"Do you know how many times you said the word 'fat' over the past few minutes?" Yin countered.

"Eleven." Nemo answered for Aria as he took a bite out of his own bacon stick. Even Gaelle had one, though she took more demure bites out of her treat than her teammates.

Aria shot him a look since Nemo was the one who stopped at the snack booth first, thereby drawing everyone's attention to the bacon's existence.

"ARRGHGH!" Aria ruffled her hair angrily. The brunette turned around and looked for anything that could get her mind off the culinary heresy behind her.

Her eyes settled on a particular booth with a spear at the table.

"Over there!" She pulled Yin's arm before her partner could take another bite from the offending snack.

Aria's eyes were locked on a particular stuffed toy the entire way. It was a decent representation of an Ursa Major, complete with soft white material where there would have been bone armor and spikes. It was also the major prize of the booth.

In contrast, Yin's eyes were the game mechanics of the booth. Rather than the traditional air rifles at normal fairs, it was a spear with a blunt tip of ordinary make. At the other end of the small tent was a robotic Boarbatusk held in place by a thick metal pole. According to the rules overhead, the object of the game was to deal a fatal hit on the Boarbatusk with the spear.

"You kids think you have what it takes to take down _Boarbi_?" Came a jolly voice from behind the counter. Team YANG turned to the speaker.

"Professor Vulkus?!"

"So, a few of my students do remember me!" The elderly hunter joked.

Professor Vulkus taught the Arms and Armor class at Beacon. While outsiders might find this class strange since it was widely known that Hunters and Huntresses made their own weapons, the class imparted not just weapon designs but also the characteristics of each particular. The result of which drove students to continually refine or modify their own weapons, with the added benefit of improving their own fighting styles in the process. Some graduates even created weapons that shifted to one type of melee weapon to another and vice versa with ranged weapons. It was for these reasons that the class was one of the most popular in school (and well attended).

"Hit any of its unarmored sides and you get a free snack ticket at any booth in the Fair," The professor declared, "But if you hit the sweet spot between the plates on the head then you get to take _Arcturus the Ursa Major home_." He patted the stuffed toy's head for emphasis.

"Isn't that name already bear related?" Nemo whispered. Gaelle elbowed him.

"Go Yin!" Aria bounced excitedly.

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Yin said before she quickly realized how harsh that might have sounded.

"But I can't," Aria said with mock despair, "I can't throw that hard, my arms are like noodles!" She shook her arms in a wave pattern for emphasis.

"Fine." Yin relented, despite not believing the noodle part. Aria...did things no one her size should have been strong enough to pull off (almost like Yin's arm). She turned to Gaelle.

"Hold this," The blonde instructed in a hushed tone as she handed her snack over, "I don't trust her with it."

Yin's eyes darted towards Aria who was still bouncing with excitement. The redhead nodded gravely as Yin walked over to the bar.

"How many tries do I get professor?" Yin inquired.

"One!" the hunter boomed, "When the Grimm first appeared, people normally didn't get a second chance."

Yin sighed. Leave it to a professor to turn a lesson into a game. She picked up the spear and hefted it. It was well balanced but the weapon's shape reminded her of a certain red-haired Huntress she disliked back at Atlas. How annoying.

"Not so fast!" Professor Vulkus said, "she's not ready yet." He pressed a button and the Boarbatusk curled up and began to rotate in place, simulating a charging attack a real one would make. Yep, leave it to a professor to design a game. Yin plunked down five Lien on the box and took aim and threw the spear. The first try caused the spear to bounce off the replica's head armor.

"That's just gonna make it angry in real life miss Xiao Long!" The jolly professor chuckled.

Yin deposited another five Lien and picked up another spear. Closing one of her eyes she took aim.

"I knew it!" Aria wailed in despair, "The bacon's already gone to her arms!"

Yin grit her teeth and picked up another spear. She had an idea on how to hit the weak point now. This time she slowed her breathing and waited for a black spot to appear among the white bone plates. This time the blonde tracked the spot, calculating the delay between her seeing it and her reaction.

"Third time's the charm," She thought just before she loosed the spear.

"Wheeeee!~" Aria twirled her new companion around in circles by the arms (paws?), deftly avoiding those in front of her who, nevertheless, took pains to move out of the way while the rest of the team followed behind.

"Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Yin!" She gushed, "Its so cute! and cuddly!"

The group took an involuntary step back. They had always wondered how Aria's tone could quickly change from happy to dangerous. The poor stuffed Ursa.

"Nice throw." Gaelle complimented.

"Took me three tries," Yin grumbled, "I'm not used to throwing things."

"You could have fooled me." Nemo mumbled, remembering their first meeting on initiation day.

The lilac eyed girl was lost in her thoughts about the what she learned during the exercise. She wasn't very good at hitting things precisely. Yin often relied on her gatling gun's rate of fire to weather an opponent down and closed the gap only when shooting at the target wasn't working. Either she'd need to make adjustments for herself or she could get someone on the team to - NO! She shook her head violently side to side. She wasn't planning on staying here for very long!

"No?" A sharp voice snapped her back to reality.

"What again?" Yin asked.

"I said we should go see a movie now." Aria puffed her cheeks in irritation.

"None of the offerings look good." Yin replied.

"Yes there was!" Aria countered, "There was the one about Grimm in a theme park!"

"Oh that." Yin had in fact seen the trailer about this movie. She was hesitant for a good reason.

"Wasn't that thing in development hell?" Nemo wondered.

"For four years." Gaelle confirmed.

"I'm not sure about this..." Yin said.

"The only way to know if its any good or not is to watch it!"

* * *

~ Beacon Hall, Vale Annual Charity ~

Ruby, together with Weiss and Cardin, eyed the two approaching Council members as they made their way towards them across the crowded floor. Almost everyone who was someone was present in annual the event which was traditionally held to raise funds for a previously decided societal issue, such as the improvement on non-private schools or public transportation. This being the case, it was almost unthinkable for Council members to be absent on such an occasion no matter what their schedules were.

For Ruby Rose, however, it was neither a simple party or a charity, but a battle that she and Weiss had to win. The Council, in a vote of two to one, resolved in a preliminary meeting to begin reclamation of a certain ruined part of Vale's territory now that Grimm activity was noted to have lessened over the years. So much hinged in making the Council reconsider its stance before making it public since any sudden withdrawals would raise too many eyebrows for her liking.

Vale's population had grown over the years, despite the disaster at Patch, that the City was hard pressed to find living space for its inhabitants. Property prices, even those that were relatively small, were reaching astronomical heights with every passing year. This, as well as other issues that came up with an increased population such as sanitary conditions or food production that even advanced technology could no longer keep up with made reclamation a very real and universal issue.

As with all things in Remnant, though, the solutions were rarely simple. Beyond the wall was Grimm territory and there have been increased sightings over the years both by Huntsmen and the military sectors. The mere act of expanding was perilous and expensive. Defensive formations had be erected in order to protect the work crew from attacks of the foul creatures on a 24 hour basis and that was after the area had been cleared by Huntsmen.

Sadly, none of the projects over the years had born fruit. The Grimm always retook what was theirs. Whether it was the walls being breached after continuous assaults or the appearance of a new, nightmarish type of Grimm the settlements were always abandoned sooner or later. Their remains dotted the landscape of Vale like scattered bones and like such, nature eventually covered their existence with foliage.

This was due in part to the geographical feature of the Vale city, as well as other major population centers in the Kingdom and Remnant itself. From the rear of Vale stood Mt. Glenn, a massive land formation that provided a natural defense which even the burrowing Grimm could not dig through. Next was the coast which, likewise, also provided a natural barrier from predations. Then there were the two forests which flanked that city. The latter two ended in a natural chokepoint that was easy to defend. Beyond these, however, was Grimm territory and the Grimm didn't like visitors.

In recent years though, preliminary reconnaissance had revealed that the Grimm presence at Patch had lessened which had marked the location for potential reclamation. For the Vale and its growing populace it really wasn't a question of whether the gamble to expand had a good chance to succeed, rather the proper question would be: Was the opportunity present?

"Remember," Cardin had whispered to them earlier, "Its two to one. Even a kid would know the odds."

"Numbers aren't everything." Ruby smirked, "Otherwise, we'd be overrun by now."

"You did what we asked you to do," Weiss said, referring to Cardin's dissenting vote which had prevented the resolution from becoming formal and reaching the public, "Leave the rest to us."

"Good evening, Miss Schnee," Councilman Sanct greeted, "Assistant Headmistress Rose."

"Good evening Councilors." Weiss answered on their group's behalf, "It has been a while."

"Yes, it has." Councilor Amell agreed, "Thank you for taking time in visiting Vale miss Schnee."

"There are lots of reasons for me to come here councilor." Weiss said, "It _is_ almost time for the anniversary of Vale and Atlas becoming allies as well as...more unpleasant reasons."

The CEO wrinkled her nose as if she'd just inhaled something foul.

"Yes, the increase in crime rates have been troubling," Councilman Sanct agreed, nodding his head, "That's what happens when there's too much people packed together I suppose."

Ruby smiled wryly at how the councilman avoided the SDC's near total singling-out in those attacks and simultaneously pushed Vale's agenda on Weiss. Her friend, however, was an expert dancer in more ways than one.

"Indeed," Councilor Amell chimed in, "We should look outward for more territory. If we expand, not only will the housing problem be solved, it would create new jobs as well."

"Not to mention a proportionate growth in business," Sanct continued, "People will be occupied with living their new lives to consider turning to crime."

"What a slimy pair." Ruby thought as she listened to the two politicians pitch their idea to Weiss. She was glad she didn't have to deal with them constantly, it was one of the reasons why she was glad to know someone like Weiss who was savvy enough with this sort of thing. Ruby was always the more hands-on of the two.

"I wasn't aware that Vale was planning to build new high-rise living structures in it territory." Weiss smiled coolly at the pair.

"Not living quarters miss Schnee," Councilor Sanct said, "We plan to reclaim some of Vale's lost territory."

"Surveys have shown that Grimm activity on the isle of Patch," Amell informed everyone, "I think its time we cleaned out those Grimm still remaining and take back what's ours."

"We plan to announce this soon," Sanct said, "The Council hasn't decided yet but it will probable be during or after the Vale-Atlas Anniversary celebration. I'm sure we can count on the Schnee Dust Company and Beacon's assistance on that matter."

The silver-haired patrician flashed a smile at Ruby after speaking.

"The Schnee Dust Company will sadly not be participating in such a venture." Weiss declared casually.

"Sadly, the Huntsmen will have to decline as well." Ruby added, "Our members are currently too spread out across the Kingdom and engaged in several difficult endeavors against the Grimm."

The councilors looked momentarily stunned and Ruby smiled internally.

White-Rose combo attack, never fight without it unless you have to.

"But we had an agreement on this." Councilor Amell said, being the first to recover.

"A verbal agreement," Weiss clarified, "The Schnee Dust Company has never, to my knowledge and that of the board, entered into a written agreement with the Vale government on this."

"Do not worry though," the snow haired CEO continued before the two could come up with a reply, "I do not intend to renege on my word. Now is not simply the time. Even if I were to agree, the company is in no shape to help, being the target of several of those _dreadful_ crimes you mentioned earlier."

Ruby fought down the urge to laugh. Weiss could hit you and make it look like an accident, all while pretending to help you up.

"We've already informed the mayor and the authorities on how _displeased_ we are with the way they are handling things," Sanct said, "Maybe we can put up a bit of extra security for your company's workers, or you can hire guards at our cost."

They sounded desperate. While the current situation of the kingdom wasn't that good, it was still manageable from Ruby's point of view. There were historical precedents for this and people have always managed well enough.

"Councilman Winchester," Amell began, turning towards Cardin, "You've been silent this whole time, care to share your thoughts?"

The councilor made it clear in her tone who Cardin ought to support in his answer.

"I'll admit I wasn't the most serious student during my time in Beacon," Cardin said slowly, "However, there were some lessons that even I couldn't overlook. Life isn't cheap, and throwing huntsmen at Grimm is only a temporary solution. We might succeed in pushing the Grimm back temporarily but they'll be back."

"They always come back." Ruby added darkly, swirling the contents of her glass.

"And in greater numbers." Weiss concluded, "That's why most expansions fail, we need a certain number of huntsmen not just in the initial reclamation but defense _during_ construction, and _after_ people settle down. Their initial apprehension at being so close to Grimm territory is, ironically, what wil draw the Grimm to attack the settlement. Those creatures can sense negative feelings no matter how well hidden a person thinks they are."

"We'll revisit this issue once things have died down." Weiss said with a tone of finality, "The Schnee Dust Company have other matters to deal with in the other kingdoms, not just in Vale."

The two council members didn't look happy. Ruby, however, was.

* * *

~ Beacon Hallways, Late evening ~

"See?! Told ya it would be an awesome movie!" Aria crowed, as the group walked towards the living quarters.

"It was dumb," Yin muttered, "but fun."

"Yin Xiao Long," Aria whirled around, "Do I detect happiness in your voice? Report immediately for reconditioning!"

Yin could hear Nemo and Gaelle snickering.

"There is nothing wrong with me captain," Yin replied in a serious tone, "However, I will submit myself to examination lest I develop and experience _feelings_."

"Who are you and what have you done with the real Yin!?" Aria gasped, "She'd never joke around!"

The group laughed at their own jokes as they passed the administrative building.

"Well I happen to like this doppelgänger." A cool voice cut through the mirth.

The startled trainees turned to find Weiss and Ruby standing behind them.

"At least this copy doesn't blow up my warehouses." Weiss said as she walked up to Yin. Professor Rose stood to the side, observing the interaction.

The blond stiffened under the Schnee CEO but met her eyes. She wasn't going to be cowed by her.

Weiss looked up and down Yin, as if appraising one of her employees. Her gaze lingered on Yin's hair, which she had tied into a ponytail and held in place by a small orange cloth.

After a while Yin decided to tie it up more and more despite an inexplicable feeling of discomfort. However, she was a pragmatic person first and she always let her hair down whenever it felt right.

Seemingly finished with her scrutiny Weiss walked by Yin without so much as a gesture to indicate she was done. Professor Rose, almost as if she could read the CEO's thoughts, joined her as they headed into the building.

The wind picked up, seemingly carrying the two's conversation just before they entered the doorway.

"She'd never have tied her hair like that."

"No, she wouldn't."

* * *

Author's Note:

Despite the notes in the story outline, this fic is taking way too long to update in my opinion. Life has been busy, and I wish I could write more. However, these delays have an upside and that is to have improvements over the original plan. Sometimes a different synonym for a word gets the idea across better or even a character's way of saying something.

On a side note, RWBY Vol. 3 has simultaneously confirmed several theories of mine on the show and torpedoed several ideas I had on this story that I thought were original such as the Aura-draining device. However, its encouraging that I've been thinking along the lines of Monty Oum in terms of the story. Once again, I don't own RWBY.

Anyway, we're nearing the final chapters of the first arc. I'd estimate there to be


End file.
